


Fangan Ronpa: Undersea Illusion

by Oclarina



Series: Believe it or Not [2]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Original Work, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fangan Ronpa, Illustrated, M/M, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-06
Updated: 2018-02-16
Packaged: 2018-03-31 10:53:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 18
Words: 80,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3975412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oclarina/pseuds/Oclarina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Honrei Natuski wakes up in some sort of classroom, with a clear blue sky above which may not be a sky at all. She meets fifteen other students, and a small black and white bear who brings a whole new panic to the situation every time he shows up. Life just got a whole lot more exciting.<br/>Currently in: Chapter Three Daily Life.<br/>Reader interactive! Leave Freetime requests in the comments.<br/>Series can be read in any order.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: 6,000 Leagues Under: Part 1

It was always there in the back of my mind. A silent ticking noise, a pacemaker that kept me thinking straight, the voice of reason, the voice of hope.

The pendulum swinging back and forth, which would one day decide the fate of my life, perhaps even that of the entire world.

It swung in the back of my mind, tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock, tick-

snap.

My eyes flashed open and I shot up straight. It felt like I had been sleeping in class, I panicked at the thought of the teacher reprimanding me. It turned out that I was not in class though, or at least not in one in session. I had been leaning on something, a desk probably. It looked like one. I pushed the chair backwards and away from it to get up.

The room was empty. There was an obnoxiously loud clock hanging on the wall, taunting me. My back was stiff. I tilted my head in a vain attempt to crack my neck. I pushed the frames of my glasses up on my nose, and I looked out the window. The sky was blue, but my eyes were still lagging behind in waking up. There were a lot of smudges on the lenses too. I wiped them off with the hem of my shirt.

Where was I?

The ticks of the clock echoed in the room as I looked around. I tried to remember what was happening before I fell asleep.

I had been heading into a really tall building, with unusual, yet not unpleasant, external architecture, but an imposing feeling surpassed any other view of the aesthetic.

I might've remembered the name of the place. Hope's Peak? Maybe. It all felt fuzzy.

The clock ticked on the wall.

I heard a voice, loud, almost high pitched, but rough around the edges, and yet still soft, like freshly mowed grass, or a fast river over a rocky slope.

"Hello?" The voice called. "Is anyone there?"

I did not answer.

Instead, I scanned the room as quick as I could to find the door. It wasn't hard; the place was nearly completely bare, except for the desk I had woken up on, its chair, a chalkboard, a security camera, a monitor, and the annoying clock on the wall.

Tick. Tock.

I placed my hand on the door handle, and opened it, as slowly as I could, only enough to peek out. The same voice was still there, calling up and down the hall, peering through small windows in the many other doors which I could see, only now, I noticed, the voice had a body attached to it.

She was a girl, I thought, or she looked like one. About my age, probably a bit younger. Her hair was much longer than mine though. It was golden, and really pretty, but I couldn't help noticing the small cluster of strands which stuck out the top and bent over, another similarity to myself. Her face was small and rounded, yet defined, it suited her voice well. (And that eyebrow game tho.)

She turned towards me and I shut the door swiftly, turning and leaning against it, trying to steady my now unstable breathing and heart rate, so I wouldn't be quite as obvious.

The door flung open behind me, and I lost my balance. I stumbled, tripping over my own feet to avoid an impromptu rendezvous with the floor.

The girl caught my arm and helped me stay up, it was rather embarrassing.

"What? Falling for me already?" She smiled. I scowled in defeat. "My name is Ajiyama Yoshie, Super High School Level Anthropologist. What's yours?"

"I'm- Honrei Natsuki." I managed to stumble out. "Super High School Level... Super High School Level... What's that again?"

"Hmmm? You don't know? It' just most everyone else were students from Hope's Peak." She hummed, as if in thought. "Well, except for that one guy, I guess. Anyways, nice to meet you, Honrei-san!"

"Right, you too." I was rather unsettled. "What's going on, exactly? And could you please let go of my arm? This is getting to be a bit of an awkward position."

"Oh, yeah, sure." She released me, and I rubbed at the small indentations left in the skin from her strong grip. "I'm not entirely sure what's happening, actually! Everyone else's gone off to look around at this place we're in. I guess I was the only one who thought to come back and check for anyone else. You know, there were sixteen doors here, and rarely do societies build in excess, so having met only fourteen people so far, the count of fifteen didn't match up. I figured someone was missing!"

"I'm so confused." I admitted. "I feel like everyone's a step ahead of me, but you came back for me?" Who even were these other people she was referencing.

"Yup! I wanted to meet everyone anyways, and I'm glad I found you." She bounced back into the hall. "But let's get going! You and everyone else don't know who you are! So I'm taking it as my own duty to introduce you. I know a lot about all of them already, so I can give you some helpful hints! Making them feel guilt for not thinking of the same thing I did is only a side benefit." She had an almost evil smile as she spoke, but I followed her into the hall. I had nothing better to do.

There were, in fact, sixteen doors on this hall, and a long hall it was. I took a deep breath, trying to fill my lungs with new air, but I ended up coughing and sputtering.

"Yeah, don't do that." Ajiyama said. "Definitely a bad idea. There's something wrong with the air here." She was breathing slowly, but in quick bursts. It was a very particular pattern. "You gotta go slowly, or hold your breath like a super cool scuba diver! Oh! Imagine if that were your talent!"

It was only a hypothetical, but it still seemed a bit teasing.

"Right." I said. I tried breathing in a way more similar to how she was. It turned out better than a normal breath.

"It's pretty thin air, polluted too, I think." She said. "We're probably not in the best location right now."

"Do you know for sure where we are though?" I asked.

"Nope, sorry Honrei-san, I haven't got a clue! But the sky sure is pretty, I can't wait for you to see it!" She started moving, in something between a walk and a skip. "Hey, follow me, come on!"

I walked after her down the hall, which was open to the air on both ends. All the doors were closed now. The air hung heavy and I was already dizzy. I soldiered on until the end of the hall though. Ajiyama was there waiting, staring upwards. I looked up with her.

I couldn't help but gasp. The sky as a brilliant blue; bluer than I'd ever seen, and darker, without a cloud in view. Without a sun, but lacking a moon as well. It was daytime though, I could tell somehow, I just knew it.

Still, it was so dark.

All the street lights I could see were turned off, not just burnt out or anything, but purposefully turned off. All of the bulbs were intact. I pushed my glasses up again.

"Honrei-san! Honrei-san!" Ajiyama called, drawing my attention away from my surroundings and back to her. "Are you ready to go explore and meet everyone?"

"I think so." I said. "Maybe."

"Nope, you gotta be sure." She said. "No doubting yourself allowed."

"Yes, then." I said. "I'm sure."

"Alrighty then, let's get going. Where do you want to go first?" She hummed. "There's ummm, hmmmm, so far I've found a beach, and a few other things,"

"The beach sounds nice." I said.

"So let's go to the beach!" She smiled at me, and started walking down the path away from the hallway. It seemed to be long and curved. I couldn't see much of anything through a fog that seemed to fill the area adjacent to the path. "So," Ajiyama said, after only a few steps. I was walking behind her. "Tell me about yourself, Honrei-san."

"M-me?" I stuttered. "Where did that question come from? I know we just met, so that means we're strangers, but-"

"You look like a very interesting person." She interrupted before I could say much more. "And look at you, you're obviously a protagonist! You're going to be learning a lot about others with that kind of role, so I figure it would be good to find out some about yourself first."

"Wait," I paused in walking. "A protagonist?"

"Yup! A protagonist!" She said, stopping and turning to face me. "No particular standout skills, a relatable personality, neutral stance on choices, your ahoge too! It's obvious! You're a destined protagonist."

"I don't think I understand what you're getting at,"

"So? It doesn't really matter." She said. "Just tell me about yourself, Honrei-san."

"I'm," I continued walking, but paused in speaking. "I don't remember anything that seems important, I'm fifteen, I think, and you already know what I look like. I don't really have any particular interests, but I try my hardest in school and-"

"My suspicions are confirmed." Ajiyama stopped suddenly and turned towards me, pointing with an outstretched arm. "You are not just  _a_ protagonist, but  _the_ protagonist! How is your named spelled?"

"The kanji for book, and then the one for soul?"

"No, the other one, Natsuki, if you pardon my informality."

"Summer, then hope?"

"Exactly! Honrei Natsuki-san, I submit that you are 100% bonafide protagonist! Premium grade, too."

"You're kind of freaking me out." I said.

"That's okay for now I think." She smiled. "We're almost at the beach anyways, let's keep walking."

I was rather unsettled by the situation. It didn't help a few seconds later when she spoke again. "I'll have to study you more later."

"Study?!"

"Ah, there it is! Just ahead now!" She started running at the apparent sight of something I couldn't see yet. I sped up and followed her to see the beach. She sighed before continuing. "Crystal clear waters, gorgeous white sand, a gentle sea breeze, we've got none of that."

Looking around for myself, I could agree that indeed, the place was deplorable, dirty, and depressing. The air seemed even worse here, tainted with salt and ocean mist. Three people stood there, pouting and talking. Ajiyama called out to them.

"Yooo!" She held out the singular syllable. "Hey everyone!"

"Hey! Ajiyama-chan is back!" One of them shouted back. She had purple hair that was dip-bleached, with half of it in a high side ponytail, and the other half hanging down as long bangs. She also had numerous piercings. I thought she looked cool, but her voice was wavering and crackly. "What, who's that with you? It's not a spy, is it?" She took a cartoonish defensive position.

"Nah, just another person that nobody else bothered to look for." Ajiyama explained. She turned towards me. "This is Tomiko Saria, the Super High School Level Flautist. She's known for her skill on classical and modern pieces alike."

"Classical?" I questioned. "Are you sure?"

"Totally sure!" Tomiko snapped. "You see, I am simply the best."

"The best?" I asked.

"The best!" She insisted. "I can play anything, anything at all, as long as it's written within the note range of my instrument. I'm hoping that I can find my flute soon so I can jam out! Oh, but, don't ask me to sing, alright?"

"Right..." I trailed off.

"Wait," another girl spoke up. "Whore you?"

"Excuse me?" I was taken aback by what sounded like an insult. "Wait you mean 'who are you?'"

"Well if ur askin'," she suddenly took on a serious tone. "The name's Komori Rokushi! Super High School Level Game Show Host, now, it's your turn to answer the question!"

"I, uhm,..." I stuttered.

"Komori-san, you're scaring her." Ajiyama said.

"Sorry then," Komori said. She twirled her finger through the swirl in her hair nervously, which was at the tip of her bangs, dyed orange in an ombre effect.

"Komori-san is known for her childhood progression towards becoming an idol, but more for her decision to start hosting tv shows full time and drop the idol business." Ajiyama said.

"Ding ding ding!" Komori said. "Right on the money! Now, what's your deal? It's only fair, after all."

"I'm Honrei Natsuki." I said.

"And? And?"

"That's it?"

"Honrei-san doesn't have a talent that we know of." Ajiyama jumped in to say.

"Oh, so you're like that other dude." Komori sighed. "Boring! Come talk to me later if you've got somethin interesting to say." She turned her back to us and ceased talking completely. Even when I approached her, she wouldn't respond.

"Hey, Sunagawa-san!" Ajiyama called to the only remaining person on the beach, who seemed to be intently looking at the shoreline. "You found anything yet?"

He stood up and dusted some sand off of his diagonally striped shorts. That alone, not to mention the rest of his fashion sense, was a bullet to my eyes. "Nope! Nothing." He laughed. "It looks like you have, though? Who do I have the p-pleasure of meeting here?"

"Honrei Natsuki," I said, nodding slightly as he approached. I cursed inwardly, nope, no, stripes definitely do not go well with plaid, and especially not in  _those_ colors.

"Gnarly, bro," he smiled. "Name's Sunagawa Fumio, Super High School Level Boarder! Not like a tenant or somethin' like that though. It's actually things like skateboardin', snowboardin', surfboardin', and all that just combined into one talent, yeah?"

He held a permanent blush on his cheeks, or maybe it was sunburn, but I didn't consider that while hearing the faltering tone of his voice.

"Sunagawa-san has competed and won in competitions all over the world." Ajiyama said. "They're thinking of putting him in for the next winter Olympics!"

"You say that like it's a big deal." Sunagawa laughed, nervously, reaching a hand up to rub at the back of his neck.

"I would think it is very much a big deal." I said.

"Really?" He asked. "It's nothing though, just another slope to run down, another set of ramps. What really matters is the fun of it, right?"

"Sure," I smiled, it was hard not to admit he was already growing on me.

"There's just no good waves here, though." He sighed. "The water's just kinda sittin' there, not doin' anythin'. Oh well, I ain't got any of my decks with me anyways."

"That's too bad."

"Really though, totally bogus."

"Hey, hey!" Ajiyama interjected. "We're done here right? Right? You're not actually saying anything important anymore, just boring small talk, so I'm gonna leave, with or without you, Honrei-san."

"Oh, well bye then, Sunagawa-san." I said, then turned to leave with Ajiyama.

"Catch ya later, dudettes!" He called after us.

"He's soooooo annoying." Ajiyama groaned once we were safely out of earshot.

"I don't think so." I disagreed.

"Well, everyone's entitled to their own opinions." She sighed. "Just don't get to close to him, alright? I feel like it wouldn't turn out well."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, it doesn't matter." She moved quickly to change the subject. "So, does the dorm house sound like a good place to go next? It's next around on the path, anyways."

"Huh? Dorm house? Is there someone staying here?" I asked.

"Yeah, I don't know." She said. "It's a pretty creepy place, and I'm not sure why it's there, but there are probably people there so we should check it out if we want to see everyone."

"Okay," I said. This seemed more like some kind of important mission now instead of just introductions.

"Good, we're almost there." She ran ahead a little bit, forcing me to catch up, and ending the conversation. It took only a few seconds to reach the dorm house from that point.

It was a reasonably large building, wider than it was tall. There was a smaller building off to the side, but we entered the main one first. The walls reached up to a high ceiling, with one large U shaped room where we entered, and four wings going off to the sides, all of them blocked off with an abundance of caution tape. There was a rectangular room in the center of the main area which jutted out to make the U shape. I quickly spotted two people in this main area, though. The two of them were standing very near to each other, and I went over on my own to talk to them.

"Hey, I-"

"Halt." A boy of the pair interrupted me. He looked poised and ready for a fight. His red eyes bore into my soul, but his navy blue school uniform contrasted them, being rather plain. The girl who he seemed to be protecting wore another uniform that matched. Her hair was long and platinum blonde, and she wore a golden tiara in it. Her bangs hung down and covered her right eye, but the left one was a sky blue. Her skirt brushed the floor, it was so long. Even with the matching outfits, there was a great contrast in their appearances.

"Who are you?" The girl demanded. Her voice was light, yet firm, it seemed to be a near opposite tone to Ajiyama's. "Wherefore do you approach with such reckless indisgression?"

"I was just trying to introduce myself." I insisted. "I meant no harm, I swear."

"More malevolent others have claimed similar things." The boy sneered.

"No, hold off for a second." The girl said, which seemed to steady the boy some and draw him back a little. "Allow her to attempt to explicate her situation at the very least. If she provides insufficient elaboration, then we can take further measures."

"Guys, stop it." Ajiyama said, coming up from behind me and only managing to unsettle me further. "She's a good guy, I swear, you don't have to go into battle mode."

"Fine then," the boy relented. "State your name and business."

"Honrei Natsuki." I said, shoulders stiff. "I'm only trying to go around and meet everyone."

"I suppose if that truly is all," the girl paused. "Then, my name is Minagami Sachi."

"You will refer to her by Minagami-san and  _nothing_ else." The boy added.

"Yes, and I am the Super High School Level Landlady. This is my companion, Rukiro Nori, and my Super High School Level Butler."

"That would indeed be me." He admitted, bowing his head forwards slightly, now out of his readied stance. "I apologize for my initial response which contained such hostility."

"It's okay." I said. "Don't worry about it."

"Minagami-san was born into a very wealthy family." Ajiyama said. "When she was young, as a right of passage type thing, she was gifted a piece of property to manage, but she ended up turning that small piece into a massive empire, earning enough to surpass any fortune she might have inherited as a second child."

"At one point I managed an entire town smoothly by myself." She bragged. "Although, I gave it back to the citizens, so that they could learn to govern themselves. I wonder how they're doing by now."

"And," Ajiyama continued, despite the interruption. "Rukiro-san has been engaged to her in an arranged marriage since they were both extremely young. He took it upon himself to serve her and hasn't left her side in years. You see, he's simply one hell of a butler."

"You've never had any problems with the unwanted arrangement?" I asked. Their advanced vocabularies were already wearing off on me.

"Whoever suggested that it might be undesired?" Minagami asked in return. "If I did not appreciate his presence, I would have rid myself of Nori many years ago. I am probably not even under the influence of my parents now that I have become their equal, economically speaking."

"And to suggest I might continue assisting Sachi if I did not care for her?" Rukiro questioned. "The notion is absurd. Under any normal circumstances, someone of my status would never be in a position of servitude."

"Fine, I get it, I was wrong, you're both rich as hell." I surrendered. "Just, it's not that often modernly that arranged marriages turn out so well. Everyone wants to find their own love and all that."

"Even if not for the outside influence," Minagami said. "I still would have met Nori at some sort of high society event, and I still would have made him my best friend, and we would still be as close as we are now."

"This is  _waaaayyy_ too much character development for just an introduction." Ajiyama whined, cutting off any addition Rukiro might have added. "We have to move on now, sorry Minagami-san, Rukiro-san."

Ajiyama started for the doors to the central room, forcing me once again to keep up behind her and end a conversation abruptly.

The doors made a loud noise when pushed through, and I noticed they were the kind that could be pushed through either way, and that swung for a while before stopping again after they were used. There was a buffeting noise whenever one brushed past the other. It was kind of loud.

In this room there were numerous tables and chairs, all folded up and pushed aside against the walls. Most of the tables were circular, but two or three were long rectangles. The furniture obviously wasn't meant to be used inside the room, though, because even with it all folded up, it took up most of the floor area, making the place feel cramped.

On the far side of the room there was one of those serving windows with the metal shutter pulled down, and a door next to it, another one of the loud swinging ones, though I prayed it wasn't as loud as the previous ones.

My hopes were shattered as Ajiyama pushed through to get to the next room. I cringed at the noise. I wished the doors might have been a bit smaller, or the doorframes a bit bigger, even if that  _did_ allow for drafts to pass through. It would have helped with the noise, at the very least.

I followed behind her, catching the edge of the door as it swung back in my direction, and pulling the opening wide enough for me to pass through, before making sure it closed quietly behind me. This room was pretty obviously a kitchen; each wall except for the one we'd entered through was covered with cabinets and appliances, and even that one with a small counter under the shuttered window. There were multiples of fridges, and ovens, and microwaves, and a few other things I didn't recognize. I wondered how much cooking would actually be done here, and if the extensive resources were really necessary. Two people stood talking near one of the stoves, one of which perked up at my appearance.

"Oy, who's the new kid?" She asked. Her appearance gave off a rough vibe, with a blue tank top covered only by a sleeveless translucent button up, but her facial features offset the look.

"This is Honrei Natsuki-san." Ajiyama spoke for me. "She's like that other kid, no known talent. I'm helping her go around and meet everyone. You two should probably introduce yourselves."

"You're not even gonna give the girl a chance to speak?" The rough girl asked. "I guess that's what I've learned to expect from you already, though. Anyways, my name, right. It's Keina Hikaru, Super High School Level Surgeon. Nice to meetcha, Honrei-san!"

"Keina-san is a top tier surgeon, known especially for her unique techniques in amputation." Ajiyama explained. "She has a lot of real world survival training, and can perform dangerous procedures on the go with a very small opportunity for failure."

"You don't look like a surgeon." I said.

"Heh, I get that a lot!" She laughed. "No, I just thought that I shouldn't have to dress all formal like at school like I would normally. These are kinda my weekend clothes, you know?"

"I didn't mean it looked bad on you or anything." I insisted.

"You're getting too worried about things, loosen up, 'right?" She said. "Or is it because of mister silent treatment over here? He doesn't talk much, huh?"

Keina drew my attention towards a boy who was standing near her. I had almost completely forgotten he was there, he was being so quiet, it was almost scary.

"It's a waste of energy to say unnecessary things." The tall boy said. He wore a large brimmed hat, though instead of being on his head, it rested on the back of his neck by a string tied there, along with a matching pair of khaki shorts and a jacket. "It's Ryouta Akio, Super High School Level Zookeeper."

"Ryouta-san is really good with animals." Ajiyama said. Ryouta nodded in agreement. "I've heard rumors he's got a lot of them at home, but I actually don't know that much."

"There might be a reason for that." Ryouta said. I decided not to dwell on it too much.

"Oh! I forgot to ask!" Ajiyama said, hurriedly. "Did you guys find anything useful in here?"

"There are suitable vegan options to cook and eat." Ryouta said. "Everything is currently stored kosher should we need it for whatever reason, and everything is fully stocked currently."

"It'll probably last a while." Keina said. "But we should be sure to ration the supplies some until we know more about our situation and how long we'll have to live on it."

"Well it's not anywhere near time to eat yet." Ajiyama said. "Or, at least, I'm not hungry, so I'm not worried."

"Such caution." I murmured sarcastically.

"You two probably haven't seen everybody yet, right?" Keina asked, and then continued without pausing for an answer. "I think I saw Iyakami and a few others going into that smaller building outside, maybe you'll want to check there."

"Gotcha." Ajiyama said, and we left quickly again. I didn't spot Minagami or Rukiro as we passed through the open area again, but maybe we were just moving quickly.

END Part 1


	2. Prologue: 6,000 Leagues Under: Part 2

The building outside was small, and once inside I heard a bell ring above the door, drawing all eyes towards us. It seemed to be a Laundromat, of sorts. One of the people there, a boy with reddish hair, continued a conversation as soon as he realized that I didn't look important.

"There's just nothing forgiving here for wool-knit, right Nishimura-san?" He would know, he was wearing two sweaters as far as I could see, maybe more. A yellowish scarf type thing draped over his shoulders, but I couldn't catch a chance to read the words on it.

"Oh, uhm, I guess so." The girl he was speaking to responded. She was also wearing a sweater of some kind, and a large scarf too. The ends of it reached just past her knee-length skirt, accented by black stockings. All of the colors she wore were extremely muted, but I was almost excited to see the glasses she wore; I wasn't alone. "Sh-shouldn't we introduce ourselves, uhm, I think that, uhm, it's a little rude to just, uhm, just ignore this new girl."

"I don't appreciate interruptions from heathens." The boy sneered. "Even when I'm just in casual conversation, it's very rude."

"That's Iyakami Kenshin, the Super High School Level Priest." Ajiyama said.

Then she dropped to a whisper. "He's kind of a snob, if you ask me, but people say his ideals are just magnetic, he's gained a great following in just the few short years since he started his own church of thought."

"And not without reason." He said, picking up on the loudly spoken whispers, and adding to Ajiyama's monologue. "I was hoping to attract more to my doctrine by involving the famous students of Hope's Peak, but that's not really possible now, is it?"

"I think you're being kind of self centered right now." Another girl said, from across the room. She had fiery red hair, blue eyes, and a simply lovely face. She wore a long pink shirt, belted by a blue band which matched both her eyes and her brightly colored jeans. Her hair was up in a bun.

"A comment like that, coming from you?" Iyakami jeered.

"There is a difference between self confidence and conceitedness." She said. "I have the former, and unfortunately for the rest of us, you have the latter." She turned to face me and ignored any objections from the now even more annoyed Iyakami. "So, my name is Maede Harumi, and I'm the Super High School Level Makeup Artist." She ended her sentence with a smile, showing off white teeth.

"Maede-san is amazing!" Ajiyama gushed. "She's done not only outstanding work in every day and beauty makeup, but also some really cool special effects and monster makeup for huge blockbusters!"

"If you're trying to flatter me into a consultation, it's working." Maede said. "First though, introduce me to your friend here."

"I'm Honrei Natsuki." I said, as Ajiyama now seemed far too excited to speak coherently. "No talent."

"Honrei-sama," the previous scarfed girl whispered. "You seem like you'd like the energetic type, but someone who is a bit afraid to show strong emotion right away."

"Huh?" It was all I could get out at her sudden analysis.

"Oh, uhm, sorry. Nishimura Fuyuai, Super High School Level Matchmaker." She said. "I can be a little forward with my uhm, evaluations sometimes, uhm, sorry."

"You're fine." I said. I was a bit shocked, but it was kind of cool as well. "Nice to meet you, Nishimura-san."

"And you too, Honrei-sama." She replied, bowing slightly.

"Nishimura Fuyuai-san." Ajiyama hummed behind me. "She's known for having a practical mental database for everyone she's ever met. Not a single couple she's gotten together has ever broken up."

"I also have, uhm, really good hearing." Nishimura said, and Ajiyama jumped. She really had to learn better how to use hushed tones. "It helps with eavesdropping on potential matches, you know."

"Okay, I think that's enough creepy smart girl for me today." Ajiyama laughed nervously. "We're going now."

I was dragged out again, and Iyakami was clearly bothered by the bell ringing and interrupting whatever his train of thought was. Ajiyama mumbled a bit to herself, but you pick up on what she's saying.

"Hmmm, we've met ten people so far, so in the last two areas we should be seeing the other six, or wait, am I counting myself in that? No, so that's four,"

My attention was quickly drawn away from Ajiyama by a large door. It was huge, a few stories tall, circular, and it seemed to be locked, a thousand times over no less. There was a boy at standing at the base of it trying to punch at it.

"That's not going to work." A short kid with blue hair said to him. "And even if it did, would it do us any good?"

"There's no point in not trying." The boy said, and kept at it. I could see that his knuckles were red.

"You're not listening at all, are you?" The blue haired kid sighed.

"Um, guys," another kid with red hair mumbled, pointing awkwardly at Ajiyama and me. "I think we should be looking at something other than the door right now."

"Oh, who is it this time." Blue hair sighed. His nonchalant attitude did not match his high and cute voice, but it did when he changed his actions, starting to whine. "Toffee-kun, protect me from the meanie new person!"

"Um, is that me?" The boy who had been punching the door asked, stopping his assault. "You really should be more clear with your nicknames, and isn't it a bit early to be giving them out anyways?"

"Waaaahhhh, Toffee-kun, why are you such an idiot?" Blue hair cried. "Now I have to go and introduce myself. I-it's Mizuki Hitoshi, Super High School Level Strategist." He sniffled, wiping a few crocodile tears on the long sleeves of his hoodie.

"Uh, hi, Mizuki-san, I'm Honrei Natsuki." I said.

"Awaahh, maybe Squirrel-chan will do a better job of protecting me than Toffee-kun."

"Where did he get squirrel from?" Ajiyama wondered out loud.

"Sh-shut up, Guppy-chan."

"Mizuki Hitoshi-san... He's," Ajiyama paused. "Well, he's something. Nobody really knows how his talent works except for the scouts who invited him to the school, since whenever someone asks him he starts acting like a little kid like that."

"Guuuppy-chaaan-"

"That's getting annoying." The boy said. "Someone with an intellectual talent like that, acting so childish."

"What the fuck did you just say to me, Toffee-kun?" I nearly jumped at the instantaneous change in Mizuki's voice. "I can kill you and no one will ever find the body, and if they do they'll think it's a suicide, but of course, that's just part of my talent."

The other person in the area started to sob quietly in distress. "Guys..."

"That one over there is Gendou Minori, the Super High School Level Guerilla Artist." Ajiyama said. "She's-"

"It's actually 'he'." Gendou corrected, immediately as if he were used to it.

"Right, sorry." Ajiyama nodded. "He's done murals, yarn bombing, and other public works, all overnight, and it all looks amazing too."

"And I'm Oshima Toshi!" The other boy said. "Super High School Level Hockey Player! Most people call me Toshima."

"Toshima-san is pretty good at sports." Ajiyama said. "If you like that kind of thing, I guess. He's the captain of some important ice hockey team or whatever up north."

"Thanks for your excitement." Oshima said sarcastically, obviously dejected. "The Wakkanai Wolves are a very serious team!"

"Calm down, you're only in the high school league, like anyone other than you on your team could get anywhere." Ajiyama sighed. "Ugh sports. What's up with that door, anyways?"

"It seems like we're trapped in here." Mizuki said. "It's a dome of some kind. This is the only way out, but it's locked."

"It's a very pretty door, though." Gendou said. "I bet with a bit of paint in the right areas we could bring out the different structural shapes, and it would-"

"You are not painting that." Mizuki interrupted. "Who knows what could happen? You could jam up all the machinery."

"I thought it might have looked nice, Gendou-san." I said.

"Oh, thanks." He mumbled.

An announcement blares over the speakers nearby, effectively stopping conversation.

"Attention! Testing, testing, one, two, three! Please gather at the Meeting Hall for an urgent message!" The voice was fractured by the speaker, but the cheeriness it displayed only made it more intimidating and ominous. Once it shut off the seemingly innocent request for a gathering hung in the air.

"Hmmm, the last guy should be there anyways." Ajiyama said. "So let’s go as quickly as possible. It's not too long a walk from here."

We headed off in the direction opposite of the way we'd come. Mizuki, Toshima, and Gendou hung back, but I assumed they would catch up eventually.

The building I thought to be the 'meeting hall' was tall. It looked to be one story, maybe an attic. A bell and a clock were up in a tower at the top. The former hanging above the latter. A glance proved it was late morning, around ten or eleven by the clock. The bell was silent.

Inside, a few people were already gathered, but the one who caught my eyes was a boy in a button up, with a green tie and a messy bowl cut, handing by the side of the room. I approached him with caution.

"Hey, my name is-"

"Honrei-san." He interrupted. "The others told me. I hear you don't have a known talent either. The name's Yanagi Kouzen. I have a feeling the two of us are going to get along here."

"I hope so." I smiled. He hadn't disclosed much about himself, but just his general attitude told me he was trustworthy. I went back over to Ajiyama and waited for something to happen.

And happen it did.

The lights went dim. A small stage at the far end of the room lit up with a multitude of lights. There was a small podium where the lights focused. We all stared, eyes fixed on that spot.

A small stuffed bear, white on its right side and black on its left, with the left eye a crooked red scar glinting in the light, jumped out from behind the podium. We all stared silently for a moment, it didn't make sense.

"Aw, someone brought Mizuki-chan a teddy bear to play with!" Mizuki cheered.

"I am no teddy bear." A voice echoed, seemingly coming from the bear, though its mouth was unmoving. It was the same as the voice that had come over the speakers. "I'm monokuma!" It said, and the bear jumped up, eliciting a response from nearly everyone in the room. "And I'm the headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy, here to greet you all and accompany you on your trip!"

"There's no way that thing's out headmaster." Keina said. "I just can't believe it."

"Whoever's doing that voice, come on out now." Maede said, unnerved. "That's a pretty cool trick of throwing your voice, but it's not that funny."

"If this is any sort of folly," Rukiro threatened. "Whoever held responsible  _will_ regret their decision."

"I've seen and done prank shows like this lots of times b4." Komori said. "If u think ur funny u should rlly know that ur not."

"This is no joke!" The bear said, making an angry gesture. "I am not some animatronic controlled by someone else, or a puppet, or whatever else your teenage minds might come up with! I am monokuma! And I'm actually here to tell you something very important! So listen up!"

"I can't really believe that you'd have something important to say." Tomiko said. "You don't look that significant, after all."

"I am the most significant character you'll know for the rest of your life!" Monokuma said. "Not that that will be that long of a time anyways."

"Whats this yoinker goin' on about?" Sunagawa asked.

"Well, it's simple really." Monokuma said. "You all will be trapped here, in this underwater dome for the rest of your lives! No matter how short or long of a time that will be."

"This air though," Ajiyama said. "I don't think it could support all sixteen of us for very long."

"Yes, well, about that," monokuma sighed. "I forgot to realize that air would be limited in an  _underwater dome_ , so I've still got to get the air filtration system up and running. I'm sure it will be done by the time this meeting is over."

"U-underwater dome?" Nishimura gasped. "So then, even if we could open that door-"

"You'd just be flooded and die right away!" Monokuma laughed. "Don't worry though. I have an escape pod, and a single way out if someone meets the graduation clause!"

"Graduation clause?" Toshima questioned. "Oh no, I'll never get out, I suck at tests!"

"Oh no, don't worry, it's nothing like that." Monokuma said, eliciting a small sigh from Toshima. "No tests or anything at all like that. All you have to do to get out is complete a perfect murder!"

That caused a very different reaction from the relief some of us had just felt.

"Murder?" Gendou exclaimed, speaking up first.

"Never mind that, what does he mean by 'perfect'?" Iyakami asked.

"I keep telling you, it's all very simple, if you would let me explain." Monokuma said. "If you complete a murder, then a class trial will be held where everyone tries to find out the culprit! If you all can figure out 'whodunit' then the culprit will be punished! But if no one can tell who the culprit is, then they escape! And everyone else gets punished! Easy, see?"

"And this 'punishment'," Ryouta said. "What is it?"

"Execution!" Monokuma shouted.

"Execution?" Many of us gasped. The room fell into a frantic mess, but monokuma continued to speak.

"Yes, yes, execution!" He elaborated. "Beaten and bloodied by high speed projectiles, brains pulverized by high speed movement and electrocution, burning at the stake, even being crushed by some giant heavy object falling from the sky!"

"Those were very specific," Yanagi said.

"Yes, well, you know how fun it is to think up such brutal things on the spot, don't you? I just couldn't help myself." Monokuma said. "That's the basics of the rules, I believe, so I'll give you your eHandbooks so you can go through the rest of the regulations on your own time."

Monokuma began walking around the room where people were still panicking from his announcement and the new situation. He gave each person he passed a small, phone-like tablet, each one a different color. Mine was green. I switched it on, figuring it was probably the best thing to do. A few others did the same. My name was displayed on the screen as it lit up, "Honrei Natsuki", along with another line reading "Captain: Summer Team".

Keina was the first one to find the words to speak up.

"Oy, monokuma, what's with this 'team' thing?" She asked. "You're not about to spring some trick rule on us, are you?"

"Not at all!" Monokuma said. "It's mostly just for organization. There are four teams, one for each of the four seasons, and each team has a captain, who can make rules that apply to their team only. Of course, these rules don't hold the same consequence as the ones I've set up, that would give the captains way too much power!"

"May I inquire as to who these 'captains' might be?" Minagami asked.

"I've notified all of them on their eHandbooks, I don't see why they can't tell you themselves." Monokuma sighed. "Oh well, the four of you, come up on stage, wouldya?"

Too afraid to disobey the intimidating bear, I walked up onto the stage where monokuma stood. Maede, Nishimura, and Ryouta followed me up, some with a bit more hesitation.

"These are your team captains!" Monokuma exclaimed, and four of the spotlights changed direction, one shining down on each of us. I wondered how it was done since there was no one obviously visible controlling them. "Ryouta Akio of the Fall Team, Nishimura Fuyuai of the Winter Team, Maede Harumi of the Spring Team, and Honrei Natsuki of the Summer Team. You'll notice that your team falls under the season in which you were born, but that's not that important. Now, I've got to get going, so you all can sort this out on your own now! Sayonara suckers!"

With that, he disappeared into thin air, and the lights faded back to normal, leaving a crowd of confused teenagers in a meeting hall.

Ajiyama practically vaulted up onto the stage to reach me.

"Honrei-chan! I'm so glad we're on the same team together!" She said. "We'll have lots of fun, you and me, the protagonist club! Oh, and it's alright that I call you Honrei-chan since we're teammates, right?"

"It's fine." I said. "Maybe you can explain the whole protagonist thing to me some time." I laughed, lightly. Looking around, I noticed Sunagawa walking over to join the Spring Team. I didn't admit I was a tiny bit disappointed.

"Waaaaah," Mizuki whined, walking up to the two of us. "I can't believe Mizuki-chan has to be on the same team as Guppy-chan and Squirrel-chan. They're such losers."

"That's actually really rude." Ajiyama said. "Using cute nicknames doesn't help."

"Ahhhwaaaaah! Guppy-chan is being mean to me!" Mizuki yelled. Yanagi stepped up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder, squatting down to eyelevel and facing him.

"I think that's enough of that, don't you?" He asked, then stood back up and turned to me. "I guess I'm with you three then?"

"I guess so, um," I hesitated. "I really wish we'd been given more instruction on this."

"You'll get the hang of it I'm sure." Ajiyama said. "I can just tell already, you're gonna be a great leader."

"If you're so sure." I said. A loud whistle filled the room in an instant, cutting off any thoughts I might have started. I turned towards the noise to see Maede, standing and waiting for our attention.

"Where did that sound come from?" Komori grimaced, her hands up to her ears. "It's louder than any of the prize bells I've ever heard, much less anything else in my line of work."

"What? You never learned to whistle loudly like that?" Maede asked. "I guess it's just a natural talent of mine then."

"I actually just played a really high note on my flute." Tomiko muttered.

"Anyways, now that I've got everyone's attention," Maede continued. "I'd like to do a roll call, so everyone knows where everyone is. On the Spring Team, I have myself, Maede Harumi, along with Sunagawa-kun, Gendou-kun, and Tomiko-chan. Say, let's go in the same order as the seasons."

"Honrei-chan, that's you." Ajiyama nudged me in the side.

"Right! Honrei, Summer Team, with Ajiyama-chan, Yanagi-kun, and Mizuki-san."

I ignored the look that Yanagi gave me at the informal honorific.

"Ryouta, Iyakami-san, Komori-san, and Keina-san on the Fall Team." Ryouta said curtly.

"Oh, uhm, and, uhm, Nishimura, T-Toshima-kun, Minagami-san, and Rukiro-san on the Winter Team." Nishimura stammered.

"Right then!" Maede said. "Now, since I'm obviously the oldest of the team captains, I think I should be in charge, right?"

"That's not exactly-" Ajiyama started.

"Good, I'm glad everyone agrees." Maede interrupted. "My first order of business is to make a rule preventing exploration at nighttime. It gets very dark here even during the day, so a lot of suspicious activity could go on if we didn't take measures against it."

I heard the four handbooks of the people on the Spring Team buzz from across the room.

"I, uhm, think that's a good idea too." Nishimura said. "Do I just have to agree to make it a rule?"

The further buzzing of the four people on the Winter Team answered, yes.

"Right then, I agree too." I said.

"And I as well." Ryouta said.

Eight more handbooks buzzed with the new rule.

"Then, onto my next idea." Maede said. "Each morning, we should meet for breakfast in order to discuss things. This isn't a rule, just a suggestion. Also, we should probably go and look through monokuma's rules."

I pulled out my eHandbook, taking up the suggestion. I switched it on again, and moved to the rules section. There were two options; "Dome Rules" and "Team Rules". The button for team rules was green and the one for dome rules was a tealish blue. Both of them had a little red exclamation point marking in the corner to indicate an update. The only rule in the Team Rules section was the one I had just made, but the dorm rules had a lot more inside. Maede began reading them out loud.

"<Regulations>

1- All students are to live together in the underwater dome indefinitely. Exceptions are made when the graduation clause it met.

2- "Nighttime" happens between 10 pm and 7 am, certain areas are off limits at this time, and entry will be punished, so be careful! The water in the Dorm House is shut off at this time.

3- Sleeping anywhere other than the Dorm House is prohibited.

4- With minimal restrictions, you can explore the dome as much as you like.

5- Violence against the headmaster is strictly prohibited.

6- Destruction of public property is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to, breaking of surveillance cameras or monitors, and picking of locks or breaking down locked doors.

7- The graduation clause- If one student kills another and is not found out, they can leave the dome.

8- Once three students discover a body, an announcement will play to alert everyone of the murder.

9- A trial will be held for every murder case where students try to find out the culprit and vote.

10- Only two students can be killed by the same culprit.

11- Team Captains will be alerted whenever one of their team members breaks one of the team rules.

12- New rules may be added at the headmaster's digression."

"That's a lot of rules." Gendou sighed.

"Rules and Regulations are a necessity for a successful society." Minagami said. "I do not believe this will be a lasting issue."

"Most of the rules shouldn't be a problem anyways!" Ajiyama said. "Since none of us plan on committing murder, rules seven through ten are completely useless."

"Wishful thinking." Iyakami said. "But I hope you are correct."

"What about this dome, though?" Mizuki asked. It was a rather sophisticated voice. "Is there a plan to be made for that? I suppose my talent might help but *hic, hic* I don't w-want anyone to take advantage of m-me, waaahhh."

"Calm down, wouldya?" Keina asked. "We should take this one step at a time, yeah? I don't think worrying about the dome should be the first step. Maybe that's just me, though."

"I th-think you're right." Nishimura said.

"As leader, I agree as well." Maede proclaimed. "We shouldn't worry about some dome yet, there are much more pressing matters right now."

"You'll regret this." Mizuki mumbled. I tried to ignore him.

"Ah, then what other things should we be sweatin' over, if not the dome?" Sunagawa asked.

"Yeah, I'd like to get to work on whatever it is right away." Toshima said. "I can't sit still, you know?"

"Let's just get familiar with the are." Maede said. "Alright then! That's everyone's first assignment!"

"Ooh! Ooh!" Komori was jumping up and down, raising her hand. It seemed like her, and everyone else, had momentarily forgotten the situation we were in. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

"You don't have to raise your hand to say something, Komori-san." Tomiko said. "This isn't one of your game shows."

"Everything is a game show for me!" Komori said, a bit offended. "Besides, I got everyone's attention, didn't I?"

"What was it you wanted to say?" Yanagi asked.

"Right!" Komori said. "I was wondering, could I gather information and make a quiz show with what I find?"

"I don't see how we're supposed to stop you." Gendou said.

"Great! I'll be starting with that then! See you all later!" Komori marched off stage, and straight out of the meeting hall. No one else started talking to the crowd, and generally everyone dispersed. The meeting was probably over by now. Ajiyama approached me to speak.

"Honrei-chan!" She said. "Do you think that the wings in the dorm building are open by now?"

"There's no harm in looking, right?" I said. She nodded happily, and started singing a small tune as we left the meeting hall.

END Prologue

 

16 Students remain.

 


	3. Chapter One: Good Children Don't Play with Knives: Daily Life- Part One

"Yoshie and Honrei-chan, going on an adventure~" Ajiyama sang as we headed towards the door of the meeting hall to exit and continue our investigation of the dome. It was kind of cute the way she was saying everything in a sing-song, but also a bit childish. She had a small skip to her step, despite the new threatening situation that we were in. I might've laughed a little, and if I did, she snapped at me.

"Hey! What are you laughing for?" She pouted, puffing her cheeks out. "Is something funny?"

By the time she finished her exclamation I honestly wasn't paying attention, rather, I had been distracted by something. We has reached the doors of the meeting hall, and pushed them open. So while Ajiyama was turned around the face me, I was staring straight at the sky.

It was the same as before, a deep blue, but with the lights on, and the air cleaned up some, it all seemed so bright now. I saw a few fishes swimming around if I squinted, and even a shark briefly before it moved out of my sight. Being able to look at all of those things above me and know that I was safe inside the dome, it was an amazing feeling, and I could breathe again, which meant that my gasp didn't send me into a coughing fit.

"What? What is it?" Ajiyama said, but when she turned she was just as struck in awe as I had been. I took a few steps and looked around some more. It all looked beautiful, a stark contrast for this to appear after the message we'd just been given. The fog was gone. I wondered if the beach might be usable now. Sunagawa would be ecstatic if that were true.

"Honrei-chan! It's so pretty!" Ajiyama said. "Ah, but we were on a mission, weren't we? We've got to hurry to the dorm house!"

"I don't think anyone will mind if we take our time." I said. "Any one of us would stop if they had the chance to look at this."

"That is, unless there were some high threat situation, or this kind of view were commonplace to that theoretical person. I wonder if there ever was a society that would see something like this often enough that they would be used to it. It's got to be like the sunsets on the Sahara or the northern lights, though." She trailed off, listing beautiful things, and pacing. I tried to keep her going in the right direction while she was so invested in her own thoughts. We walked to the Dorm House while I listened to her senseless mumbling. It didn't seem to take too long to get there. She looked up at the sound of the door moving.

"Oh wait! Are we here already?" Ajiyama asked. I nodded. "Darn, I didn't mean to talk the whole way. I'm sorry. I must be so annoying."

"You're fine." I said. "It was actually pretty interesting listening to all that you had to say. You don't have to be worried about talking a lot around me anyways. That was some of the anthropology stuff, right?"

"Exactly!" She replied. "Oh, it's absolutely fascinating, isn't it? I was so happy when I got into the school just for doing what I love!"

"That's the dream, huh." I said. I stepped inside the dorm house, and looked around some. The police tape was gone, and the place looked less dreary, though I hadn't really noted it being exceptionally saddening before. There were gilded signs above each of the wings, in a gold or brash-ish metal. They were each set in a rosy dark wood. I wondered how it was possible this kind of construction had gone on between the last time we had left and now.

There were four wings, one to the left, one to the right, and two on the side of the building opposite the door. The kitchen stuck out from the wall between the two far wings. I squinted and read the plaques above each of the wings, from left to right, there was "Spring", "Summer", "Fall", and "Winter". I headed towards the summer one, assuming our rooms would be there, and only vaguely paying attention to all that Ajiyama was saying about Hope's Peak. I felt like I had heard all of it before anyways. For some reason I remembered a lot about the school.

Inside the Summer wing, there were three doors, also made of that same expensive rosy wood, and with the metal plates, this time displaying our names. Looking down a small and narrow hall next to the farthest left door, there was also a fourth doo visible. The one in the hall was Yanagi's, and the one next to it Mizuki's. Ajiyama's and mine were adjacent on a different wall. My door was visible through the hole in the wall where the wing split off, and Ajiyama's was to the right of that.

The more I tried to explain it, the more awkward it sounded. It really would have been much more helpful if I had a map.

"Honrei-chan," Ajiyama said. "I'll check out my room and you take yours, alright? I think the eHandbooks must act as keycards based on the readers on the doors, and splitting up will give us a better understanding of the place."

I agreed with her, and passed my eHandbook over what looked like a card reader below where the door handle was. It unlocked, and swung slightly open without me even touching the handle, though. It looked like Ajiyama's had worked just as well, so I stepped inside.

The light switch was to the left of the door, and turning it on let me see the plainly furnished room. Strange enough, I heard Ajiyama gasp through the wall. Maybe her room was more interesting.

In mine, though, there was a double bed with white sheets, and a dark green comforter. There was also a bedside table with a small lamp, a dresser on the right side of the room, and a desk to the left. There was a door on the same wall that the dresser was against. The door was simple, white, and unlabelled. The rest of my room was fairly boring, so I opened it. Inside there was a bathroom, narrowly set, with double sinks to my left, a shower and toilet to my right, and another door straight across from me. I stepped forward to open it, only to be greeted by it flying away from me just as I reached it, and revealing Ajiyama on the other side.

"Honrei-san?" She exclaimed, with a bit of confusion. "Where did you come from?"

As soon as she had asked it, she seemed to notice the door behind me, and the double sinks.

"Ah! We get to share!" She said. "That's great! We're going to be seeing a lot of each other, then! Even more than before."

I nodded slightly after a moment. "Right."

"Say," she continued. "Do you think we can assume all of the other rooms are like ours, or am I getting special treatment by getting to share with Honrei-chan?"

"I don't see any reason the rooms would be majorly different." I replied. "Maybe a few changes in decor or something, but not much other than that.

"We can fact check later with the others if we're not sure, I suppose." She said. "But that was all we were going to check, right? Is there even anything left to do now?"

"There's plenty to do." I said. "A lot of places to go and people to talk to and everything."

"I get a feeling you don't have any idea of what to do wither." She pouted. "Do you know what time it is?"

I looked down at my wrist to find that my watch was no longer there. I hadn't noticed it missing before, but all of a sudden the lack of pressure there bothered me. I pulled out my handbook to check the time there instead, holding it with my left hand so I could use my right hand to rub at my wrist where the watch should have been.

"It's almost noon." I said.

"We should go have some lunch, then." Ajiyama suggested. "I wonder if everyone else will be there. Most people go to lunch around that time because it's just when they feel hunger, but without a set schedule some people forget to eat entirely. I hope no one starves."

"I don't think that will happen. If someone got that hungry they'd eat." I said.

"Hmm? Have you heard the stories of animals in captivity who die of starvation if their caretaker stops feeding them for whatever reason?" Ajiyama asked. "It happens often, this is basically the same thing, right?"

I smiled sympathetically. "Let's just go to lunch." I said. Ajiyama looked surprised, but then nodded emphatically.

"I'll go back through my room to make sure the door locks and meet you outside." She said, before rushing out the door behind her.

I must have been slower getting out than Ajiyama was, because she was bouncing on her toes waiting for me by the time I got back out of my room.

"If you're that impatient you could have gone ahead to the kitchen." I said. "I would have figured it out."

"Nah, I wanted to wait for you." She insisted. "We've made it this far, might as well stick together in the long run."

"That's a bit extreme to be saying so early." I mumbled. "But, we can walk to lunch together, at least."

"Huh? Well okay, let's go, then!" Ajiyama skipped ahead. I followed behind, walking, and we reached the kitchen in not much time at all.

A few other people were gathered around tables set up outside in the hallway. I skipped talking to them for now and headed straight into the kitchen. Maede and Gendou were there, with Maede ordering him around to prepare food.

"Hey, don't let that boil over!" She demanded. I noticed she wasn't actually doing much work herself.

"Ri-Right, Maede-san!" Gendou was stirring hurriedly at a large pot of water with presumably something cooking at the bottom. His hair was tied back with a bandana, probably to keep it from falling into his face.

"Do you need any help, Maede-san?" Ajiyama said, continuing to bounce on her toes.

"No, we should be almost done actually." She said. "Just call Tomiko-san and Sunagawa-san back in to help us serve everything."

"Right," I mumbled. I left the kitchen.

People were clustered at the tabled by teams. Ajiyama hurried over to Yanagi and Mizuki, while I stopped where the remaining members of the Spring Team were.

"Tomiko-san, Sunagawa-san," I said. They both looked up at me from their conversation. "Maede-san asked for your help back in the kitchen."

"Aw, really? Already?" Tomiko groaned. "You know, we've only been here a few hours and she's already abusing her power as team captain."

Sunagawa nodded in agreement. I didn't know what to say.

"I wish I was on your team, Honrei. Do you think a Gemini is close enough to be counted as the summer?" Tomiko winked mischievously.

"Aw, don't leave me behind, dudette!" Sunagawa protested. "I'd be left with just Gendou-san on my side, and we both know he's kind of a sheep."

"Hey! Don't talk bad about him!" Tomiko said. "He tries his best, you know?"

"Did you know that coral dies with it gets stressed?" I asked, immediately realizing it had nothing to do with the conversation.

"Huh?" Tomiko looked at me as if I had just quoted gibberish. "What would coral get stressed about?"

" _Current_ events." Sunagawa had a smug smile, like he had made this joke before. "Anyways, we should get going, Tomiko-san."

"Right," she said. They both left for the kitchen. I went over to the table where the Summer Team was gathered and made small talk for a while until the food came out.

Maede oversaw as the other three carried large black trays with white bowls of rice and matching plates of grilled fish. The bowls were decorated with colored stripes in green, yellow, blue, and red. Gendou stopped and dropped off the green ones at our table. He was carrying the majority of everything.

"Thank you," I said to him. He only looked at me in response. I couldn't decipher what his face meant.

I waited until everyone had their food as to not be rude, and then tore off a piece of fish with a fork and picked up some rice on top of it. I brought it up to my mouth. The smell was strong, but I ate it anyways. It didn't taste bad, but I did not eat any more. I never liked the taste of fish. It was too strong.

I wasn't alone in not eating, though. I noticed that Ryouta didn't even take a bite. I guess it made sense that a zookeeper would be someone so attached to animals that he wouldn't eat meat. I decided to think it showed integrity.

A few other people didn't finish their food, and some licked their plates clean, literally. A variety of eating habits was something I think I expected, though. I stood up to take my dishes back to the kitchen, but as I did, Gendou darted over and insisted he take it for me. I decided not to start and argument and let him take it.

Sadly, not having anything to do now that I had been denied dish duties, I was left with no ambition. I decided to go back to my room and rest off lunch.

That ended up being more boring than expected. Within a few minutes I left again looking for someone to spend time talking to, since that seemed like the best option in this particular situation.

I passed a few people while walking idly around, ultimately stopping at the hallway where I woke up, at which point I found Tomiko peeking around the rooms.

"Tomiko-san?" I called out to her. She jolted up, turning to face me.

"Honrei-chan! It's you!" She exclaimed. "If I am completely honest, I didn't expect to see you here! I was looking around for my piccolo, you see! I must have misplaced it, but, what was it you wanted?"

"Just someone to talk to, I guess." I shrugged. "I could help you look, though, if you need it."

"Nah, a pretty face like yours shouldn't be put to such intensive work!" I blushed a little bit at her statement. "I'd much rather just talk to you if that's what you want. I can find it later, no problem!"

"Oh, well, if you're sure." I said.

"Of course I'm sure! Hey, let's walk around some. It's a bit boring to stay in one place."

I nodded without a word, struck a bit silent suddenly. I tried to make conversation anyways as I stepped forward, eyes locked on my feet.

"So, Tomiko-san, um, how long have you been playing the flute?"

"Oh, me? Well, as long as I can remember, really, since I was but a wee lassie!" Her tone was jovial, with exaggerated innotations and accents. "Though, when I first started, I wasn't that good at it. Squeaks and airy noises at abandon! Can. you. even. imagine. Honrei-chan? It was horrible!"

"Well, it's been a while in the first place since I've heard anyone play the flute." I said. "It isn't exactly common music nowadays, right?"

"You're right about that! It's a shame! So often I'll hear some band that could be improved tenfold by a simple flute accompaniment! Though, you've got to let me play a solo for you some time, Honrei-chan, if it has been a while like you said since you've heard one."

"I would be honored, but, you really don't have to go through the trouble."

"Bah! Please! It's no trouble at all! I'd love to play something for you, it's only a matter of choosing something, you see."

"I'm sure whatever you would chose would be great, Tomiko-san."

"Well, I can't disagree with that! Oh, flute music is so great! People think we're just cheap trills, but us flautists are capable of so much more if just given the opportunity!"

"You seem rather enthusiastic." I said.

"Of course! Flutes are my whole life, you know? I'm not sure I could ever do anything else, so I've got to stay happy with my work, which honestly isn't that difficult with music. You know, I'm sure you're familiar with a traditional concert flute, but did you know that there's a whole lot more varieties?"

"I know you were just looking for a piccolo, that's one, right?"

"Yup! Flutes can range from a piccolo all the way down to a rare double contrabass. I aspire to see one someday, but there are also different kinds other than a typical cylinder, like the Ocarina, or different materials. There are wooden varieties from countries across the world, and a whole bunch more cool ones that I can't even imagine! Really anything can be called a flute as long as it's a reedless woodwind instrument."

"You seem to know a lot about this."

"Of course, Honrei-chan! You see, I'm simply-"

"The best, I know." I interrupted. "And it really seems like it too. You know a lot, and you've been working for a long time it looks like."

"Well, there's a reason my middle school band was top ranked within region and country competitions! And it wasn't just because of the Super High School Level Marching Band Member within our ranks!"

"Whoa! So you weren't the only musically talented one at your school? I would have thought you stood out a lot."

"Nope, my school was always top ranked for music programs, even before the marching band got started up, and since I was so interested in flutes, I went there, and it helped me rise to where I am today! It's not that uncommon for students from that school to go to Hope's Peak under music-related talents, though, it is an all girls school."

"It sounds like a good school. I just went to the middle school closest to where I lived, honestly."

"That seems like you though, Honrei-chan." Tomiko smiled, stifling a laugh.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" I mocked being angry.

"Nothing, I promise." She laughed openly now, and I with her. It was fun to talk with Tomiko. She had a vibrant personality which never left me bored, even if it resulted in outbursts or one-sided conversation.

I stayed with her a while longer, talking about schools and music and flutes and whatever caught our fancy.

After a while it got late, so I headed back to the Dorm Building with her, the piccolo having been completely forgotten in favor of diner, which was already being prepared, the Fall Team on duty this time.

Though it was mostly Keina and Ryouta in the kitchen.

I met back up with the rest of the Summer Team, talking about things that had happened all day. I was already beginning to settle into this situation, though I wasn't sure whether to be proud or afraid of that fact.

Since Ryouta was helping cook, the food was more palatable this time. I was one of the ones finishing my plate instead of one of the ones barely eating any. I sat around a few minutes longer before retiring to my room for the night. I was able to hear monokuma's announcement after a warm bath.

"Greetings students! This is the Hope's peak water dome executive committee! Speaking to wish you a good night's sleep! Goodnight! Sleep tight! Don't let the piranhas bite!"

It was a bit unsettling, but I fell asleep all the same.

~

<Monokuma Theater 1>

"They say humans are extremely adaptable creatures, but aren't most animals? If you put anybody in a new and unfamiliar place, regardless of species, they won't just keel over and die! They'll do whatever they can to survive! That's just nature! That's also why you've got to work even harder to get 'em dead!"

~

I woke up to the sound of another announcement.

"Gooood morning everyone! This is the Hope's Peak water dome executive committee wishing you the best of days! Just remember it's better down where it's wetter!"

The monitor cut off and I was still drowsy. My vision was still blurred ever after I put my glasses back on. I rubbed the lenses on my night shirt to make sure they were clean. They were, so it was just my eyes.

I rolled out of my bed and stumbled into the bathroom, stopping momentarily shocked at Ajiyama already being there, fully dressed and brushing her teeth.

"Good morning, Honrei-chan!" She said, not talking the toothbrush out of her mouth, so it was distorted.

"Good morning." I said, only to realize my throat was hoarse. I coughed a few times to loosen it, and Ajiyama offered me a cup of water, which I took. This whole living situation felt more like a hotel than a school dorm, and a western one at that.

Ajiyama left for breakfast before me, leaving me a bit more privacy to get ready. The toothpaste tasted different from the kind I had at home, which was unsettling. I tried my best to ignore it.

I stretched before changing clothes, and then after that I headed out the door. It was a new day, with new opportunities. I planned to make the best of it.

I ate a simple breakfast by myself, which was a relief after spending so much time surrounded by people. I rinsed off my dish and placed it in the sink, deciding I should spend the morning talking to somebody instead of sitting around, since there wasn't much of anything that interested me inside or out.

I walked around some and found Nishimura outside the Meeting Hall, sitting on the steps and scribbling in a notebook. I sat down next to her and didn't say anything for a little while. It was a comfortable silence. She looked concentrated. I peeked over at her paper, but the markings didn't make sense to me.

"What are you doing?" I asked. She jumped.

"Oh, Honrei-san, I, um, didn't see you there." She caught her breath quicker than I would have.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." I said.

"It's fine, I was just in the zone I guess." She shrugged. "This, um, though it's just a hobby I guess, I'm just, taking notes on the other students. I do it without thinking in my head, so I like to write it down so I don't forget first impressions. Everyone says those are the most important, right?"

"That's what I hear at least." I laughed a bit. "You're using a whole lot of shorthand there, right?"

"Yeah, um, it helps me get it all down quicker. I don't want to ruin the idea of taking notes just because I'm taking too long writing."

"So you're really serious about matchmaking?" I asked. "Most people take it as a joke."

"Yeah, I know." She sighed, and I worried that I had hit a weak spot. "But since it's my talent and all, I just, I think it's important. I'm pretty good at it I guess, so I should go with it."

"That's one way to think about it." I said. "I've never realized someone could have a natural gift like that."

"It's not really specific on matchmaking." She shook her head to disagree with me. "No, I'm just good at noticing patterns, I was never good at interacting with people, so I was able to watch and observe how people interacted and how their relationships ended up. If I use those patterns it's not that difficult to match things up, regardless of content. A lot of people use computer programs to do the same thing, but there are a lot of intricacies that those things can't catch. For example, um, Honrei-san, do you have a thing for thick eyebrows?"

I was taken aback as my immediate reaction.

"W-what kind of a question is that?" I asked.

"I didn't mean to imply anything, Honrei-san. I'm sorry if I, uh, offended you."

"I guess I just didn't expect you to ask that." I said, brushing it off.

"Well, um, I'm still sorry, anyways. I've been told sometimes that my questions can be prying or inappropriate."

"It's fine, Nishimura-san, it really is."

"If you're sure..." She looked away, and set her pencil down on the notepad, pointed towards herself. He knees supported it as they were bent at a slope with her feet on the step below her.

There was a silence for a few seconds, this time awkward instead of comfortable. I tried to break it.

"But, um, I do think that thick eyebrows are attractive." I admitted. "I guess I was also shocked that you had guessed it."

Nishimura lit up. I could have sworn I saw a literal sparkle in her eye.

"Thank you, Honrei-san! Say, would you say your preference is strong enough that it would affect your opinion on someone?"

"Well, not exactly." I shrugged. "It's not necessary at all; just something I personally think looks nice."

Nishimura wrote more notes down as I spoke.

"Of course! That makes perfect sense for you, Honrei-san!" She said. "You know, I could try pairing you up with someone, but if I were to make a guess, you're the type of person who prefers to let things happen naturally."

"You've got me there." I chuckled. I was glad I had gotten Nishimura to be enthusiastic again.

"I've already got a few possible matches lined up." She mumbled, I figured to herself. "But if we wanted it to be more accurate I'd have to do a full interview, and those can be a little invasive."

"Yeah, I'd rather not." I said. "That would involve a lot of introspective thinking about myself. I'm much more interested in you, Nishimura-san."

"Huh? What do you mean?" She asked.

"I dunno, like, have you ever matched yourself up with anyone? Is there someone special in your life?"

"Um, well, uh, I'm asexual,... and aromantic,... and I didn't have any friends in middle school, so, um, no. There's nobody."

"You seem like a nice person, Nishimura-san." I said. "All of those classmates in middle school were just missing out!"

"That's one way to put it, alright." She sighed. "You don't have to try to comfort me, Honrei-san. I just do better on the outside of situations. Interacting can get... messy."

"I understand that sentiment, believe it or not." I said. "Listen, though, I'll be your friend. So you don't have to worry about being alone anymore."

"It's not that simple, Honrei-san."

"It doesn't have to be complicated, either. Sometimes things just happen. No analysis, no charts, no notes, just human interaction."

"I guess..."

"It's okay if you don't want to, I mean-"

"No, no! I want to be friends with you, Honrei-san, I would love that."

She offered me a smile. It was weak, but I returned it. I opened my arms tentatively, to suggest the possibility of a hug, and she leaned into me with an unexpected force, throwing me off my balance and squeezing me tight in an embrace.

"Thank you, Honrei-san, for being so nice to me."

I wasn't sure how to respond to that, so I just sat there with her for a while, in that same comfortable silence.

We parted after a while, and I left back to the Dorm House.

 


	4. Chapter One: Good Children Don't Play with Knives: Daily Life- Part Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit longer than normal chapters, but worth it I think.

I ate lunch alone, just like breakfast. There was much less pressure to eat things I didn't like that way. I returned to my room afterwards and lounged on my bed, flipping through my eHandbook and reading things over to make sure I knew them well.

After a while I heard a knock at my door. It would be rude to ignore, so I reluctantly got up and walked over to answer it. It was Ajiyama.

"Honrei-chan! I'm glad you were here!" She said.

"Was there something you needed me for?" I asked.

"Not especially, just if you weren't busy, I was gonna ask if you wanted to go to the beach with me."

"I wasn't doing anything." I shrugged.

"Great! Then let's go!"

Ajiyama then proceeded to grab my wrist and drag me behind her, out of the Dorm House entirely, and then all the way around the arched path from there to the beach. The salty mist spray hit my face and I sputtered, wiping my glasses off to make sure I could see.

The once disgusting beach was now pristine. It was exactly as Ajiyama had sarcastically described it when we first investigated everywhere.

Crystal clear water, gorgeous white sand, a gentle breeze, all that and the deep blue sky I had grown to adore with fish flying above our heads as opposed to below in the surf. It was a beautiful sight. I stood there in awe as Ajiyama jumped ahead and sat herself on the ground, her toes only a foot or so from the tide at its highest peak. She patted the sand next to her and looked up at me with a wide smile. I took off my shoes and stuffed my socks inside, and held them in my hands while I walked across the sand and sat next to her, at which point I laid them on the ground next to me. Ajiyama looked out over the water.

"Isn't this great, Honrei-chan? It's like something out of a movie." She said.

"You mean the beach, right? I wonder how it got so clean so fast." I replied.

"Well, partially the scenery, I guess." She said. Her bangs shadowed over her eyes. I couldn't quite see her expression. "But, this place, it's like where the protagonist wakes up and sees the main love interest for the first time."

"Wait, hadn't you said I was the protagonist? What does that even mean in this context?"

"I guess I thought you had a lot of good leadership qualities, but not the kind that are openly so, like, people like Maede-san, they make the leader trope, strong and forceful and ready to make sacrifices, but people who have different qualities, ones like you have, they're the protagonist. I don't really know how to explain it."

"What 'trope' are you, then?" I asked.

"I can't decide that for myself." She turned her head away from me, and looked up towards the water-sky. "It's easier to be objective when thinking about other people. You, you're relatable to a wide audience, you get along easily with people. Keina-san, she's smart, but she doesn't boast it or try to look like an intelligent stereotype. Minagami lets money guide he life and is more concerned with herself than other people, but, if I try to think about myself like that, it isn't so easy. Does that make sense? I don't know."

"No, it makes sense, I think." I said. "It's a lot easier to worry about others than yourself, basically, right?"

"Yeah, something like that." She said.

"Well, I may not be as good at analyzing people as you are, Ajiyama-san," I started. "But I think you're a good person, if a little eccentric, and I admire your enthusiasm in life."

"Thanks, Honrei-chan." Her tone had turned sour, and she continued facing away from me.

"Are you alright?" I asked, a bit bluntly.

"Maybe." She mumbled. "I'm not sure."

"Well, you don't have to say anything." I said. "We can just sit here. You don't have to talk."

Ajiyama said no response, but we did sit there silently for a while. A cool breeze blew in from the water. Ajiyama squirmed her toes into the sand. I looked out at the sky and watched the fish swimming by. There were a variety, but I didn't know what any of them were called. They were just really pretty. I tried to count all of the fish as they swam by to pass the time, but I lost track quickly when a large school rushed past.

"It doesn't make sense." Ajiyama said, interrupting my train of thought. She was probably talking to herself, but I listened to her anyways. "You've got trigger fishes right alongside Atlantic Cod. I don't understand how this could be happening."

"Those are kinds of fish, right?" I butted in, stopping her mumbling thoughts.

"Huh, yeah, the trigger fish is a type of tropical fish that has bright patterns and striped, but the Atlantic Cod is an Arctic fish. They come from completely different temperate zones."

Her body language had changed. She seemed emphatic about the subject matter she was focused on, but also like something was still bugging her.

"Do you like fish, Ajiyama-san?" I asked, trying to ease her tension.

"That's not the issue here!" She snapped. I drew back some.

"Oh,"

She relaxed from her tense position.

"I'm sorry, Honrei-chan, I didn't mean to get angry with you." She said. "But, yeah, I do like fish. Sometimes I wish I had become an ichthyologist instead of an anthropologist. Fish are a lot easier to understand, and a lot cooler looking too."

"I don't know that much about fish." I admitted. "But I do think they're cool to look at."

"Well, you don't really need to know as much as I do. It'd be funny if my ridiculously detailed knowledge about fish came in more handy here than my actual talent, right?" She chuckled. "An anthropologist studies the interactions of humans and human culture with their environment, but, what sort of prior knowledge am I supposed to apply to this environment? There's never been a study of the long term effects of living underwater on the human consciousness. Fish, Honrei-chan, fish never change. You can count on fish not to murder each other unless it's something they'd do anyways. The same doesn't go for humans."

I didn't know what to say in response to her philosophy. I decided to talk about something else instead.

"Ajiyama-san, would you like to look at the fish with me again sometime? You can tell me actual facts about them, and I might learn something other than which one looks the prettiest."

"Sure," she nodded. "Sure, yeah, we should do that sometime. That'd be nice. It'd be like going to an aquarium, one of those ones with the tunnels so you can walk under the fish, though, I've never seen an aquarium in which fish interact like they do in the sky here."

"I've always thought an aquarium date would be fun." I smiled.

"Date?" I looked over belatedly after hearing Ajiyama blurt out the word, to see a blush fading from her face. She shook her head, hair whipping around, to clear her mind, then she stood up, splashing sand in all directions as she tore her feet free from where she had dug them in. "We should get going for dinner now though. We sat looking at fish for a while there, huh?"

"Oh yeah, I guess we did." I said. I pushed up on the sand to get up. My hand slipped at first, but I soon caught traction and brought myself up. "I didn't realize it was already dinner time though. The lack of daylight might be messing me up."

"Or maybe you just had a big lunch." Ajiyama laughed. "Y'know, it _is_ common for people's biological clocks to get messed up when they're isolated from the outside world without a schedule. Maybe those morning and nighttime announcements _are_ a good idea."

"Yeah, maybe." I said.

Ajiyama and I shared a smile and began walking back to the dorm house. Every time I walked on that curved path it felt shorter. Maybe without the fog, seeing my destination well ahead of time helped speed up the walking process.

When we arrived, the front hall was empty. Not even the tables were set out.

Ajiyama pushed open the buffeting doors to the kitchen without warning, and emerged again a few seconds later.

"No one's here." She said.

"Nobody?"

"That's what I said." She replied. "Say, should we get Yanagi-kun and Mizuki-kun over here and give our team a chance today? I know a really good takoyaki recipe that my sister taught me!"

"I wouldn't mind cooking." I said. "But maybe it can be something simpler than takoyaki?"

"Alright then." She said. "Honrei-chan, I'll contact the two of them and you can go check out the kitchen to look for something to cook."

I nodded, and went over to carefully pass through the kitchen doors and avoid the noise. It was only somewhat better.

I looked around only to find that the kitchen was fully stocked, and I didn't notice any difference from the other times I had been in there. I looked through fridges and drawers until I found something that looked appetizing to me, and set it out on the counter. Only moments later I heard voices speaking and then the door slamming open behind me. I cringed.

"I'm so happy!" I heard Mizuki shout. "Squirrel-chan, Acorn-kun, and Guppy-chan are all making dinner just for Mizuki-kun and no one else!"

"That's not exactly right." I said. I turned around and noticed he was the only one who had entered and was standing there. "We're actually cooking for everyone."

"Huh?" His lip started to quiver with wide open eyes to match. "But, mine is at least going to be special, right?"

"I mean, I guess if you want to add to it, you can help."

"Hnf," he sniffled. "That's okay, I guess..."

Ajiyama entered through the door, causing it to sound again.

"Alright then," she said. "Yanagi-kun is setting up tables and chairs, so we can get started in here!"

"I'd actually rather help him if that's alright." I said. "Can you two do fine on your own?"

"Wellll," Mizuki drawled. "It could turn out completely horrible without you, but I think we'll do O. K."

I decided to leave the two of them anyways, mentally wishing Ajiyama luck. It took longer than I expected to set up the tables and chairs, but Yanagi and I didn't say much while doing so. Neither of us were the talkative type. By the time we ate, we were worked enough to be thoroughly hungry, though, and I was surprised at how well the meal turned out. Everyone else seemed to enjoy it too.

After dinner I returned to my room to rest, and eventually fell asleep. It was a relatively uneventful night, with monokuma's announcement playing over the speakers to add a bit of normalcy.

"Greetings students! This is the Hope's peak water dome executive committee! Speaking to wish you a good night's sleep! Goodnight! Sleep tight! Don't let the piranhas bite!"

~

<Monokuma Theater 2>

"A lot of people seem to easily get the idea that they're better than everyone else. They're untouchable, superior, completely above and separate from anybody around them. And you know, they use silly ideas like that to justify stealing away positions of power or opportunity, when really, you humans aren't even at the top of the food chain! If it weren't for the barriers of houses and other buildings, bears like me would be ripping out your throats left and right! Gives a little perspective, doesn't it?"

~

"Gooood morning everyone! This is the Hope's Peak water dome executive committee wishing you the best of days! Just remember it's better down where it's wetter!"

There was a dread feeling in the air, making me sick to my stomach as I woke up. I didn't have a good feeling about today. Maybe it was some sort of premonition.

Despite feeling wary, I got up and prepared myself alongside Ajiyama just like yesterday. I was starting to fall into routine. A routine which included breakfast and then returning back to my room only to decide to leave again.

Trying to shake off my unsettled feelings, I left my room, after cleaning my glasses thoroughly. Windex is a gift to this world. It took a bit of thought to decide who I wanted to spend time with, but I was able to do that while walking.

I found Maede meandering along the circular path near the large metal door. She noticed me before I said anything.

"Oh, hey Honrei-san, didya wanta hand around or somethin'?" She asked, as I was still walking up.

"Sure." I nodded.

"Alright, I was just walking around if you wanted to join me." She offered. "You know, getting the daily dose of exercise and all that."

Looking down briefly, I noticed neither of us had good walking shoes on, but hopefully my feet would not be too sore at the end of things. They had been worn in through years of use inside and outside school. I was surprised they weren't falling apart, and that they still fit. I worried about Maede's heels, though.

"Maede-san." I said. "Are your feet going to be alright walking around in those boots?"

"Oh these?" She giggled softly, putting her hand to her lips as if to quiet the laugh. "Darling, these are my work shoes. If I can handle standing around all day making people beautiful in these, then I can handle a little stroll."

"If you're sure," I shrugged and started walking. Maede kept her stride a foot or so ahead. A minute or so later she started to speak, turning her head a little bit so I could hear her better.

"So honey, have you made any progress figurin' out your talent yet?" She asked.

"No, I haven't." I replied. "It hasn't exactly been at the top of my priorities with all that's going on."

"That makes sense I suppose. Really is a shame, though. I'm sure whatever it is that you're special at, it's wonderful, and sometimes that sort of familiarity can be helpful in a place like this. That's why I keep stickin' to my morning routine so I at least look like a morning person instead a the one I am who lives offa caffeine."

"Morning routine? Do you mean like brushing your teeth and stuff? How would that make you look like a morning person?" I asked.

"Aww, sweetheart, you just don't understand now, do ya?" She giggled again. "I've gotta exfoliate, do my face and hair up all nice and pretty, it really is a process. I have to get up early if I even want ta finish at a reasonable time."

"The shared bathroom situation must be horrible, then." I laughed. "For both you _and_ Tomiko-san."

"You have _no_ idea, dearie." She smiled, looking back at me. "I actually had to switch out all off 'er products, wouldn't want me to be havin' an allergic reaction, after all."

"Hm? What are you allergic to that you'd have to go that far, Maede-san?"

"A lot of common makeup ingredients, actually." She said. "It's not that bad, just if I touch any of it I'll get all puffed up, might even suffocate, and we wouldn't want that."

"No, we really wouldn't." I said, shivering at the idea of such a strange death. Would monokuma still do everything like he said for that? "But Maede-san, how do you do makeup for people if you're allergic to it?"

"I've got my own line of cosmetics!" I could tell she was beaming, even from behind. "A lot of celebrities swear by it, even! Guaranteed one-hundred percent all natural products, none of which trigger common allergies! It's safe for a lot of people to use, and it's vegan and gluten free, so it's gained a lot of popularity, but that's only part of my claim to fame! Oh, and, whenever I have to use another brand for whatever reason, I just wear gloves."

With all of the qualities Maede listed, I started to get unsure that this was even still makeup we were talking about. I had no idea it could get so complicated.

"Wow, Maede-san, you have all of your bases covered, don't you?" I looked down, feeling a bit insecure that I had no talent at all in comparison. She must have noticed.

"Well, yeah, but don't let you down sugar. Really, I'm only good at this makeup stuff, you know? Just like how everyone is good at one kinda thing. I promise ya I ain't that good at mucha anythin' else, and I'm sure you got somethin' that you're super at, okay, angel?"

"Why do you keep talking like that?" I asked. "Your accent, and those words, 'dearie', 'sugar', 'angel', you've never spoken like that while everyone else is around. It's a bit demeaning."

"I don't mean for it to be that way," she said, stopping and turning towards me. "I guess, it's just kind of that customer service thing. When I'm in different situations I act differently based on who I'm with. I'll be the first to admit, in one-on-one situations, I can be a bit... doting." She giggled. "And, when I'm given a little bit of power it gets to my head quite easily so I try to act in charge and all. Honestly, that old monokuma shoulda chosen someone else to be the leader of the Spring Team, but, I mean, if you look at the other two, it's clear he's got no idea what he's doing."

"Isn't that a bit mean to Nishimura-san and Ryouta-san?" I asked.

"Oh, what they don't know won't hurt 'em, least until they find out I said it." She giggled a bit, but then it turned into a full-on laugh.

"Right..." I said.

We walked around a few more minutes in silence. I had nothing to say to Maede, and she seemed too absorbed in her own thoughts to even carry a conversation. I wasn't sure whether or not I enjoyed her company.

As we passed by one of the monitors positioned along the path, it turned static before the screen clarified to a video of monokuma. He spoke with urgency, though his face gave no expression.

"Attention! Attention! All students please gather in the meeting hall for an urgent message! Repeat! All students please gather in the meeting hall for an urgent message! Hurry up, everyone!"

"I guess that's my cue to go, Honrei-san!" Maede said. "If I want to freshen up before the meeting then I've really got to hurry!"

"Wait, but if you're in a hurry, shouldn't you-" I tried to say that she should skip freshening up, but she was already gone, running off on the toes of her heels towards the dorm house.

I, in turn, started towards the the Meeting House.

When I arrived, already a few people were there, lounging in the seats or sticking towards the walls. Nobody was saying much. I took a seat next to Ajiyama but didn't say anything. Something in the air was wrong.

Once everyone had arrived, the lights in the audience of the hall dimmed, and monokuma popped up on stage.

"Good, good! Everyone's here, no I can get to what I needed to say!"

"And what was Kuma-chan in such a hurry to say?" Mizuki asked with a smile. He was possibly even scarier than the bear at the front.

"I am very disappointed in all of you! We've been here three days already and not a single one of you has died yet! Do you all just have no idea what you're doing?"

"We don't plan on letting any of the murders you want to happen, monokuma." Maede said. "We're all going to stay alive here."

"Well then, you're staying alive _here_ until you die of natural causes! Don't you know the rules?!" Monokuma shouted. "Of course, that would be boring for all of us, especially me, so I've prepared a little something special as a gift to all of you, or maybe an incentive! I've sent it to you through your eHandbooks, so you can check it through the new option there! Don't worry about wearing headphones! It's a soundless video, has captions and everything. I'll be waiting patiently until you all finish watching, and if you don't, I guess I'll just have to follow you around everywhere until you do!"

Taking monokuma's threat to heart and ignoring the fear of whatever the video might be, I was quick to pull my eHandbook out of my skirt pocket and open the new tab, labeled "Motives". There was only one thing there, a black rectangular thumbnail with the caption "Honrei Natsuki 01". I tapped the screen once to open it and it began playing.

On the small screen at first was an image of a room full of people, I didn't have time to count how many before the viewpoint began rapidly zooming in on one person. As the image came back into focus I let out a gasp.

"Checko..." I mumbled.

The person whose head took up the majority of the screen was a girl a few years younger than me who had lived in my neighborhood growing up. We used to spend a lot of time together and I considered us friends, but I wondered what significance she could have now for me to be seeing her.

A small red dot flew downwards across the screen. Checko's eyes, as well as my own, darted towards her cheek where it stuck. Soon another drop fell, and another, and another, and another. The few scattered drops turned into a drizzle, and eventually a downpour. Sheets, torrents, of what looked like blood. It covered Checko's face and tinted her toffee brown hair to a shade of red. The camera zoomed back out slightly to allow view of the soaked ground, while still keeping Checko in sight. I saw her lips move, and words appeared at the bottom of the screen. Those must have been the captions monokuma mentioned.

"Is... is he dead?" The words read, presumably asked by Checko. The screen cut to black and then faded back to the menu of the "motives" tab.

I felt someone grip my arm tightly and suddenly, which made me tense up, especially after the scene I had just watched. I looked over and saw that Ajiyama's video was still playing, a bleach blonde girl passed out on screen with a broken ceiling fan near her feet and a boy with greenish black hair at her side. Ajiyama stared unblinkingly. She looked afraid.

I looked around the rest of the room. Everyone looked unsettled. Some had turned white with fear, while others, the ones who were generally more composed, only appeared bothered. I slid my eHandbook back into my pocket.

After another minute or so, when I assumed that everyone had finished their individual videos, sound was finally heard again in the meeting hall.

"Upupupu! Were you surprised?" Monokuma chuckled.

"Wha- what was that?!" Maede demanded. "There's no way that was a real video! You must have faked it!"

"Hmm? But why would someone put so much effort into a fake video, Tulip-chan?" Mizuki asked. "Mizuki-kun thinks it'd be a lot easier to just use real ones."

"But, there's no way it was real." Komori said. "It was just so unrealistic, I, I can't believe that all of that happened."

"Well, you know," monokuma said. "Mizuki isn't so far off track. What makes you think I'm the type of bear who would put effort into the motives I make?"

"Then, what _were_ those videos?" Tomiko asked. "I mean, monokuma, you never really gave us an explanation before telling us to watch them."

"Was it not obvious?" Minagami responded. "These short films have showcased the recent statuses of our loved ones, those most dear to us. _We_ should know, by which I mean, Nori's video as well as my own were recordings of each other in this very meeting hall from the other day."

"Loved... ones...?" I heard Yanagi mumble. I turned to the bear onstage.

"Aw darn, you just ruined the paranoia of not knowing what the motive meant." Monokuma looked considerably downcast. "Though, I guess it's kinda my fault considering I didn't try to find anyone else for you two."

"So then, they were real?" Ajiyama murmured. "They're actually in trouble?"

"Yup, you betcha, Sherlock! You figured it out!" Monokuma said. "But what can you do about it? You're trapped in an underwater glass dome! It's not like you can reach them to help! That is... unless..."

"We complete the graduation clause," Nishimura gasped.

"You got it! Kill one person to save another!" Monokuma said.

"Who would fall for such a weak motive? Tch," Iyakami spat. "Is anyone really that weak-willed?"

"You never know!" Monokuma said. "Remember, everyone has a different experience in life, and there are as many motives as there are people on earth! Even if something doesn't affect you, it might completely change things for someone else!"

There was no one who could be trusted. That was basically what monokuma was saying. Any amount of bonding we had done so far meant nothing when anybody could be tempted into murder. The world was once again set on edge. The routine I had fallen into shattered. I felt my back tense up, but I could do nothing except continue to listen. Ajiyama gripped my hand tightly.

"So, do with this information what you will! I've got things to do, so I'll see you all later! Hopefully after a body shows up!" With that, monokuma left again, leaving the rest of us silent and afraid. Maede spoke from where she was in the hall, near, but not quite on the stage.

"Alright, everyone, this definitely is some... bad news, but I'm sure we'll make it through." She said. "Just everyone remember to stick to curfew, and come to dinner if you can. I'm sure we'll all be alright if we just don't let this get to us."

"That's easy for you to say." Ajiyama whispered, only audible to me.

Slowly, everyone filed out of the Meeting Hall, leaving Ajiyama and me alone.

"Are you going to be alright?" I asked her.

"I don't know." She said. She released my hand and pulled her legs up into the chair to hug her knees.

"Who were those two?"

"My older brother, Tsuneo, and my big sister, Masuyo." She mumbled. "The video showed Masuyo getting hit with a ceiling fan that fell... I hope she's alright..."

"Well, there's no way to determine how much damage that did, but from what I saw of it, she looked fine." I said. "So we can hope with reason that it wasn't that bad. I'm sure if your sister is as tough as you are, she'll be alright."

"Thanks, Honrei-chan." She said. "I should probably get going, sorry for holding you back with me."

"It's no problem." I said. Ajiyama put her feet back on the floor, stood up, and began walking towards the exit. She paused, and turned around briefly.

"Oh, Honrei-chan, who was in your video?" She asked. I thought back to seeing Checko covered in blood.

"Just an old childhood friend from my neighborhood." I decided to say. "Guess there just wasn't anyone that important to me, huh,"

"Alright." She said. "Catch you later, Honrei-chan."

With that, she was gone, and I was alone again in the Meeting Hall.

After a minute or so, I left, and started heading back to the dorms. A lot of people were along the path on the way there, most of them walked away before I could say anything. I spotted Yanagi, and decided despite how much I felt like going to my room and not coming out for a month, it was my duty as team leader to check up on my teammates.

"Yanagi-kun," I greeted.

"Oh, hey, Honrei-san." He said.

"Are you alright?" I asked. "With the motive and all, I thought I'd check up on everyone."

"I'm good, I guess, more confused than anything." He said.

"Confused? Why?"

"Well, the way everyone else was talking about it, with 'loved ones' and all, and what I saw in my video, it doesn't make sense. Did I get the wrong one or something?"

"I don't think that monokuma would mix it up." I said. "But I guess we can't be sure."

"Maybe it has something to do with the amnesia?" He said, questioning himself. "I just don't think I'd easily forget someone with blue hair, especially if she was supposed to be important to me."

"Blue hair is pretty unusual, I suppose." I said. "I don't know what to tell you, Yanagi-kun."

"I'm sure I can figure it out on my own, eventually." He sighed. "I don't want to hold you up, Honrei-san, if you have somewhere to go, then don't worry about me."

"Well, if you're sure you'll be fine." I said. I stood there silently for a few seconds before I started again towards the Dorm House. I didn't talk to anyone else along the way, not that they would have let me.

Before I headed to my room, I stopped by the kitchen to get a bite to eat since I hadn't had lunch yet, as well as something to have later to suffice for a "dinner." Maybe it wasn't entirely warranted for me to stay cooped up in my room, but I didn't think I had the emotional energy after all that had happened today to spend time with anyone else. So I kept to myself. It was a relaxing time, all things considered. With a few hours of rest, the nighttime announcement seemed to come in no time at all.

"Greetings students! This is the Hope's peak water dome executive committee! Speaking to wish you a good night's sleep! Goodnight! Sleep tight! Don't let the piranhas bite!"

I was already preparing to sleep by that time, but was distracted by my eHandbook vibrating from on top of the desk in the room. I picked it up and checked the screen, which was displaying a notification.

"Ajiyama Yoshie has broken Summer Team Rule #1" It read. The only rule I knew of was the curfew, so that meant-

The doorbell rang before I could finish my thought. I opened it tentatively to see Ajiyama standing there, in pajamas. She had indeed broken curfew, but she looked unharmed. Maybe the consequence for team rules was to be left up to the team's leader, using the notification so that they would know.

"Ajiyama-san, what are you doing out?" I asked. "Is everything alright? Are you hurt?"

"No, no, I'm fine." She said. "I'm just... afraid. I, I don't want to be alone tonight. I'm afraid that someone might try to kill me. I mean, you know, I'm a year younger than everyone else here, and I'm a bit of an easy target. I'm too trusting, and I'm childish, and I'm just not good at keeping myself safe."

"Hey now, you're not as bad at any of that stuff as you say." I said. "I swear you'll be safe. No one else will even try to kill you."

"But what if they do?!" Tears broke from Ajiyama's eyes as she looked up at me. "I'm just, I'm really scared, I'm scared, Honrei-chan."

This was not a situation that I knew how to deal with. I felt sympathy for Ajiyama, but I didn't know how to actually help. I stood in the door frame, not saying a word.

"Honrei-chan, could I stay with you?" She asked, unexpectedly. "Just for tonight. I'm afraid to stay alone in my room, and a killer is less likely to go after people grouped together traditionally."

"I, um," I stumbled.

"Sorry, that might have been a little impolite of me." She said, looking down. "I mean, there' no way for you to know _I'm_ not trying to kill _you_ , but if I trust you not to hurt me, then can you trust me?"

"I," I said. "I think I can."

Ajiyama leaped into my arms, knocking me back where I barely kept my balance.

"Thank you, Honrei-chan! Thank you! Thank you! I feel so much safer with you by my side!"

"Don't get yourself too worked up." I laughed. "If you do, you won't be able to sleep, and I'd hate for you to be tired and sluggish tomorrow."

"Don't worry, Honrei-chan, as soon as I hit the bed I'll be out like a light!"

"Okay then."

And exactly like she said, she fell asleep immediately. I don't think I could have woken her if I tried. I finished getting ready, and climbed into the bed next to her.

~

<Monokuma Theater 3>

"Human bonds of 'trust' and 'friendship' have always been really hard for me to understand. I mean, sure, maybe working together this one time is advantageous, but how do you know that the next time it won't be more hurtful than helpful, and that person will betray you because of it? Humans are moody creatures, so why do they bother keeping together for longer than in necessary when they might just get hurt because of it? It just doesn't make sense.

~

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are always appreciated!


	5. Chapter One: Good Children Don't Play with Knives: Daily Life- Part Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is no excuse for this being so late. I had it typed and then it took me like 5 years to upload it. I apologize.

"Gooood morning everyone! This is the Hope's Peak water dome executive committee wishing you the best of days! Just remember it's better down where it's wetter!"

There was a heavy weight on top of my waist. I tilted my vision downwards, and strained my eyes to see what looked like Ajiyama, snowing with her arm around me. I sat up and reached for my glasses on the side table, putting them on. There were still some dirt and smudges on them from yesterday, but they improved my vision nonetheless, at least enough that I could verify Ajiyama's presence.

"Hey, wake up." I pushed her shoulder. She groaned and blinked her eyes open.

"I'm awake. Give me a minute." She grumbled. I moved her arm off of myself and got up to start getting ready. By the time I exited the bathroom again, toweling my hair dry, she looked more awake.

"Um, thank you." She said. "For last night, I mean. You made me feel a lot safer, so, yeah."

"It was no problem." I said. "But if you don't mind, I've got to get dressed, and you should probably get ready too."

"Right! Of course!" She said, walking past me into the bathroom and locking the door behind herself.

I finished up my routine and headed to breakfast. I took with me the dishes from the food I had eaten yesterday.

While I was washing said dishes in the sink, I heard a mild commotion going on outside. I set what I had in my hand down in the soapy water and stepped out to see what was going on.

A few people were already seated at the tables, more than when I had entered the kitchen, but that wasn't what was drawing everyone's attention.

"This is ridiculous!" Ajiyama shouted, towards Maede, who was standing in front of the rest of the Spring Team. "You can't seriously think this is a good idea."

"I, um, also think this might not be that good." Nishimura said, on Ajiyama's side.

"I know what I'm doing!" Maede snapped back. "Why don't we ask an actual _competent_ team leader for her opinion on the matter?" She threw an arm in my direction, a dramatic gesture for a dramatic situation.

"I, uhh," I stuttered. "What exactly is going on here? I don't think you should insult Nishimura-san like that, by any means, but I need context if you want my opinion."

"Maede-san has been imposing an unnecessary amount of rules on her team." Ajiyama said. "This is abuse of power!"

"I'm _trying_ to keep everyone safe!" Maede countered. "By keeping together that means none of us can die without a witness! You can't tell me that's not practical!"

"You shouldn't have to make a rule of it if it were reasonable!" Ajiyama shouted back. "Banning something is exactly what causes people to rebel by doing it! It's tested and proven in history! Banning alcohol created speakeasies and organized crime, banning marijuana created a society of stoners and high school dropouts! I know what I'm talking about here! If you weren't afraid that people would disagree with you, then you wouldn't have to make rules out of it! You won't even let any of your _beloved_ team members speak in question of what you're doing!" It was true, all of them, even Sunagawa, said not even a word. "They aren't children! And you aren't a chaperone! You're acting more like a dictator than anything!"

"Ugh." Maede groaned. "Honrei-san, control your teammate, please."

"I actually think she's right about this, Maede-san." I said. She instantly looked taken aback. "I mean, she's definitely not being the best about presenting her ideas, but nobody's perfect."

"What do you mean? Do you think I'm _wrong_?" Maede demanded.

"Well, you have some good ideas, Maede-san, but the way you go about them isn't ideal." I replied. "I mean, too many rules all at once without taking other people's opinions into account? It makes for a really unjust system."

"Hmph!" Maede turned up her nose. "Well, if you're so sure that _my_ team doesn't like being safe, then why don't we ask them?"

The other three Spring Team members shifted uncomfortably.

"I, uh," Gendou started, but then he folded his arms and cast his eyes downward.

"Hnnnnnn..." Tomiko strained, but she didn't say anything either. Sunagawa simply looked to the side.

"See, they don't have any complaints! Maede boasted. Ajiyama's face seemed almost red with ire, but before she could argue, someone else seemed to have worked up courage.

"Actually, Maede-san." Tomiko said. Maede's face turned sour. "I don't really like these new rules. Making us go around in a pack is segregating us from everyone else because we're not allowed to have private conversations with anyone." Twin buzzing sounds came from both Maede's and Tomiko's pockets, presumably eHandbooks giving notifications of a broken rule. "And also, not allowing us to speak out is really kind of cruel, you know? I feel like there's a better way to work this out than just making rules and expecting them to be followed."

"Well then, y'all don't have any idea what you're talkin' about, do ya?" Maede said, in a southern drawl.

"Actually, I've been thinking about this." Tomiko said. "It ends up being a lot easier to do that when you're allowed to speak." She laughed.

"Ugh, fine then, just fine! This is dandy!" Maede pouted. "I'll get rid 'a some 'a the rules, but 'm only tryin' to protect all y'all! Y'all'll see, once someun ends up dead it'll be 'cause they went an' broke one 'a the rules y'all're makin' me get rid of!"

"Hooray!!! Mizuki applauded, having been watching quietly the whole time. "Violet-chan defeated the miniboss!"

"Violet-chan?" Tomiko asked.

"That's you!" Mizuki said, then pointed to Gendou. "And he's Daisy-kun!"

"Huh, so Tulip-chan, Violet-chan, and Daisy-kun?" Sunagawa clarified. "What flower am I then? A cosmo or something?"

"No!" Mizuki said excitedly. "You're Brocolli-kun!"

Mizuki was beaming brightly. Sunagawa seemed insulted. Neither spoke.

"You have some... _creative_ nicknames, Mizuki-san." Nishimura said. He nodded happily.

"Anyways," Maede said loudly, changing the subject and drawing the attention back to herself. "Gendou-kun and I are going back to the Spring Wing. I _strongly suggest_ that the rest of you also stick in pairs and make sure everyone is aware of who you're with, for safety reasons."

She marched off, Gendou trailing behind her with only a single glance back.

"Spring wing," Ajiyama giggled, once Maede was out of earshot.

Those of us remaining are our breakfasts in peace, after which we decided to heed Maede's warning and pair up, at least for now. We stayed in the general area of the hallway outside the kitchen while we sorted out who would go with whom.

A few people had arrived, assuring no one would have to make a group of three or go alone, but I approached Sunagawa first out of everyone there.

"Oh, hey, thanks for helping with the ordeal with Maede-san there." He said. "Props. That was super rad."

"Don't mention it, Brocolli-kun." I joked. He looked unamused.

"Let's leave that behind us." He said. "Anyways, did you want to go somewhere? I don't think I have any plans besides avoiding Maede-san. For such a betty she's a real hamster fetus."

"Right, well, I don't think I have anywhere specific in mind." I said. "But I'd like to spend time with you if I can, Sunagawa-kun."

"Cool, you down with just walking around for a session?" He asked. I nodded.

I notified Ajiyama that I'd be with Sunagawa in order to make sure everyone knew in case of an emergency. After that, we left the Dorm House and started strolling, mostly aimlessly. A few minutes passed before either of us said anything.

"So," Sunagawa said, his constant blush seeming to grow darker. "What business does a honey like you have with me, Honrei-san?"

"Well," I said. "I mean, I've been going around and talking to a lot of people."

"Oh,"

"What?"

"Nuthin',"

"I just thought it'd be nice to talk to you some." I continued. "I thought I'd like to spend time with you."

"Well I hope you didn't get your hopes too far up." He laughed, shrugging. "I'm not that good and all with words, so I can't hold any sorta nice conversation."

"That's okay." I said. "Sometimes I'm not much for talking either. Sometimes it's nice to just enjoy each other's company in silence."

"Yeah, I guess so." He said. "Still, I'm afraid of it getting awkward."

"It's not awkward unless we make it." I said. I decided to prove it by silently walking hand in hand, but then chickened out on the hand-holding thing, instead just walking without doing or saying anything. It only lasted a very short while.

"I'm sorry, Honrei-san, but I've just got to say something. I can't stand the silence." He said. "I can try to come up with something, maybe, um, like..."

"If you have to say something, then tell me about your talent." I said. "I'll listen."

"Alright, just don't get nussed out on me." He said. "I could tell you about the time I got a full sand facial, Neptune cocktail included, right when I thought I was actually hot-dogging the bone yard at this great surf spot that was actually meatballed. Or maybe I could talk about when I totally called out a pusher and all his suspect pics by dealin' out the triple set with a quadruple kink tail which he swore he could do, but I rocked it in person! That video got like ten million hits even though the dude's channel was totes unpopular! Though you might like the time I did a jib riding switch after a 540. Man, those were the sickest first tracks I ever carved!"

"All of those sound like some pretty tall tales." I said, even though I understood barely any of what he was saying. "Don't worry, though, I still believe you."

"Aw, thanks." He said. "You know, if it weren't for the donut shop and her sheep, Gendou-kun, I'd show off a bit and give you a taste of my tricktionary."

"Does she really have a rule against _that_ too?" I asked. "Seems a little specific,"

"Well, no." He admitted. "But I feel like if I tried she'd make me eat it just by showing up when she found out."

"She is pretty rough on you, huh?"

"Yeah, but she's just a yoinker. If it weren't cool to be the one in charge then she wouldn't do it. She really just wants everyone to like her, even if she has to do it by force."

"That's not really the best way to go about it..."

"Hey! I agree with you, but what can I do about it?" He sighed. "It's not like I have the authority of being another team leader, _or_ like she'll listen to reason. I don't think she'd listen to anyone."

"Well, that's, hmmm..." I trailed off. "We've just got to deal with things as they come at us, right? We may not be in the most ideal situation-"

"What with the murder and all,"

"But we can make it through this!" I said, with more emphasis. "Don't give up hope, Sunagawa-kun!"

He didn't respond for a second, only staring at me.

"Hey, Honrei-san, your face is flushed, it'd not that important, so you don't have to get so worked up." He said eventually, causing me to realize that my face did feel slightly warmer. "I'll be alright, so don't get so hung up with me that you can't handle yourself."

"I'll, I'll be fine too, Sunagawa-kun." I said. "Let's just, not worry about things, and, enjoy the time we spend together."

"Sounds rad to me." He smiled. "Still wish I could show off some smooth jumps and slides at least on my deck, there's not a speck of snow in sight for a slope, and there's not enough wind or current to show off my big gun."

"G-gun?" I stuttered.

"Relax, Honrei-san, it's just slang for a big surf board."

"Oh, okay then." There were too many slang terms. "Well, I'm sure there's some way we can get it where you can use your skateboard here. It's really cool that monokuma let you keep all your stuff anyways, because it feels like he would have taken it away. So it's a waste to not take advantage of it."

"Hey now, don't jinx it!" He said, laughing. "So, wait, did you have any stuff in your room that could be a clue to your talent?"

"Oh, no, I didn't." I said. "It's all pretty un-personalized."

"That just means you have that much more room to fill up with new sick things you find!" He said. "You could become a Super High School Level Collector!"

"That's a nice sentiment, I think I'm good, though. That talent doesn't have a good feel to it." I said. "I'll find it out if I'm meant to."

"Alright." He said. We walked a few more steps until I heard a very strange growling noise. Sunagawa looked down at his stomach. "Aw shit! I didn't even realize I was this hungry! I guess I was having too much fun talking to you, Honrei-san."

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"I'm fine, just gotta get some grindage in me, oh, that means food, by the way."

"Isn't it a bit early for lunch? How are you already that hungry?"

"Oh, I didn't eat breakfast with all that happened I guess, but I prolly should get going. Catch ya later?"

"Sure." I nodded. Sunagawa speeded away in the direction of the Dorm House, effectively ruining the idea of staying in pairs for the sake of hunger. I kept my original calm pace, but I too, eventually ended up at the same place. By that time he had probably moved on, because he was nowhere in sight when I fixed a small lunch in the kitchen. I took it to my room to eat.

I couldn't tell time by the sky, so I relied on the clocks, and when they said it was afternoon, I left my room again to talk to someone. Mizuki was within the Summer Wing still, and he caught my attention.

"Squirrel-chan!" He exclaimed. "Squirrel-chan! Will you play with Mizuki-kun?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, sure, Mizuki-kun." I replied.

"Hooray! I get to have Squirrel-chan all to myself!" He said. "I have games in my room! Let's go and play!"

"Oh, alright then." Mizuki grabbed my hand and tugged me off to his room.

"Once inside, I saw that he did indeed have a lot of games in his room. Tables were set out with what looked like board games on top, already with the pieces set up as if the games were half finished. There was a large screen on one wall, separate from monokuma's monitor, with multiple game systems attached, and walls of shelves filled with all sorts of games. I was surprised there was still room to walk around.

Mizuki set down a box from one of the shelves triumphantly on an empty table, and began setting it up. I couldn't read the title, because it was in English. Once he had finished laying everything out, he looked to me.

"Squirrel-chan, you know how to play this game, right?" He asked.

"Um, no."

"Wellll, Squirrel-chan, roll the dice and then you move, and sometimes you draw a card, and other times you can buy a property. Once you get all of a color of property, you can put buildings on them, it's pretty easy, right?" He said, pointing to various objects as he went.

"I guess, but you'll have to be slow with me." I said.

"Okay! Then! Mizuki-kun will roll the dice and so will Squirrel-chan and whoever has the higher number goes first!"

The game Mizuki had chosen was difficult, and it seemed to have no end. Whether I was buying "waterworks" or "Virginia Avenue" I always seemed to be losing more than I was gaining, but I never lost enough to just give up, as Mizuki kept making me "mortgage" properties so I could pay him more money. It was tedious.

Eventually I ended up with a streak of bad luck, landing on almost five squares in a row that Mizuki said were his, and that all had little red plastic pieces on top, and I gave him enough pieces of paper that he started rejoicing.

"Hooray! Mizuki-kun won! Squirrel-chan went bankrupt! Mizuki-kun won!" He shouted. "Hey, hey! Squirrel-chan, will you play another round with me?"

I glanced at the time on my eHandbook, pretending that factored in.

"I'd rather not." I said.

"W-what?" His eyes went wide and watery. "U, uu, uwaaaaaah!h!!" He started to cry. "Squirrel-chan hates Mizuki-kun! Squirrel-chan won't play with Mizuki-kun anymore!"

"That, that's not it!" I said. "I just didn't like this particular game that much is all,"

"Then, uwa, will you play another game with me?" He calmed down temporarily.

"Maybe later?" I suggested.

"But, but!" He quickly got upset again. "I want to play _now_! Don't leave me lonely and alone, Squirrel-chan!"

"Why are you acting like that?!" I asked bluntly, not meaning for it to be as harsh as it sounded.

"Huh? Like what?" He asked.

"Well, you're being kind of like a little kid." I said. "Just in your speech patterns in general, and how every time something doesn't go your way, you just start whining, and when things _do_ go right, you get overly excited."

"Is, is Squirrel-chan annoyed with me?" He whimpered.

"I mean, if I knew why you were like this I wouldn't be so confused." I said. "You're supposed to be the Super High School Level Strategist, that's got to be like, one of the smartest talents of all of them, but it feels like you're putting that to waste."

"Did you know that children have the greatest capacity for learning and imagination of any age group?" Mizuki smiled weakly.

"But you're not a child!" I shouted, repeating what I had been told before by many adults. "Pretending you still are doesn't change that you need to grow up!"

"Well, maybe, well," Mizuki was authentically tearing up now. "I just, I didn't, I only, I don't want to be left alone again!"

His voice was deeper and a lot less airy when he shouted the last part. It sounded more natural.

"I _don't_ expect you to understand my childhood, Honrei, or the lack thereof, but you can't just judge everyone you meet based on some pre-conceived ideas of how the world should be! You never had to worry about the things that I did! You've never faced what I've lived with! I can tell from the look on your face that you won't ever get it! You're just like everyone else! And you're going to leave me just like them!"

"Wait, Mizuki-kun, I'm sorry."

"Are you really?" He asked. "Or are you just trying to earn back my favor? I know plenty about that."

"I really want to apologize, for making assumptions and trying to make you out to be something you're not." I said.

"Alright then!" He went quickly back to his default demeanor. "I think I can forgive you, Squirrel-chan! But if you tell anyone about this, you won't have the chance to apologize to me before you're dead and buried where no one will find you! Haha!"

"Ha... Ha..." I was afraid.

"Well, if Squirrel-chan doesn't want to play any more games, it's about time for her to be leaving I think!" He smiled, then stood up, and began to lead me to the door. "I guess I'll see you at dinner, then! Save me something super good!"

"Sure, alright!" I said, vague on what the 'something super' could be. I turned around while I was already halfway through the door. "Oh, Mizuki-kun, I meant to ask, just to check up on you, who was in your motive?"

"No one!" He said, with an excited smile. "All I saw was a black screen for the duration of everyone else's videos!"

"It was... empty?" I asked.

"Yup! Just like my soul!" He smiled wider. "I guess monokuma just wanted to point out how I'm not close to anyone! Even myself! Alright! Goodbye now!"

He slammed the door in my face.

I walked back to my room, still dazed and confused. I wasn't sure if I'd ever understand Mizuki.

It was getting pretty late, so even though I had only just gotten there, I left my room again, seeking out dinner before it was nighttime.

The Winter Team was in the kitchen tonight. Minagami sat quietly sipping tea at her table while everyone else, even Toshima, was at work cooking. I sat down at what had grown to be designated the Summer Team's table and waited.

After a while, Toshima came out, carrying trays with bowls full of steaming hot soup. He set down one of them near me, and I took the opportunity to speak to him.

"Wow, Toshima-kun, I'm surprised you can keep your balance while carrying all of that." I said.

"Really, Honrei-san?" He paused and looked at me as if I had said something ridiculous.

"Huh? Did I say something weird?" I asked.

"I play hockey, Honrei-san." He said. "I'm on skates the majority of most days. Bad things would happen if I couldn't keep balanced."

"Oh," I looked down at my soup, and took a sip, disregarding how my glasses fogged up due to the steam. Toshima moved on to the other tables, and I ate the rest of dinner without talking to anyone else.

I was one of the first to finish eating, having shown up earlier than most. I set my dishes in the sink, and returned to my room.

I flopped down on my bed with a thud. My eHandbook said it was only barely 8:30. There was no way I could fall asleep so early, but there was no reason for me to be awake. I lazed around, rolling in my bed for what seems like forever, but when I finally checked the time again, a mere ten minutes had passed. I couldn't stop thinking about things.

I decided to go for a walk to clear my head.

No one was in the halls as I made my way out of the Dorm House. I took the short route, past the laundry building, to the beach.

It was already dark out, the streetlights dimmed, and even the sky seemed darker, though there were no stars.

I sat softly on the sand, the tide was higher than when I had last been there, but it was quieter as it rolled in and out. I closed my eyes and listened to the sound of the waves. It was a peaceful moment, which I let consume me. I matched my breathing to the pace of the waves, and my heartbeat followed suit, slowing to a mellow speed.

This was a good way to relax, I thought.

I let the tension out of all of my joints.

Then it returned just as quickly.

"Honrei-san?" I heard a voice. I opened my eyes, but did not turn around. "You're gonna get a chill, out near the surf at a time like this!"

It was Sunagawa. I brushed the sand off of my skirt as I stood up.

"I didn't think it was that late." I admitted. "It wasn't even nine when I got out here."

"Well, it's way past nine now!" He said. I glanced at the time on my eHandbook. It was now almost 10.

"Oh, I guess I spent more time out here than I thought." I said, putting the eHandbook back away.

"The tide woulda swallowed you up if you stayed any longer!" I looked down to see that the edge of the water was still a fair distance away.

"What were _you_ planning to do out here, then?" I countered.

"Oh, um," his cheeks darkened as he looked away. "The surf, it um, it calms me down, I guess. Can I be honest with you, Honrei-san?"

"Of course you can." I said.

"Right, well, I'm kinda really worried about the motive." He said.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, my video, it had my little cousin in it, she looked like she was in trouble, and she's a tiny little thing, can barely handle herself in a _good_ situation."

"I'm sure she's capable of dealing with whatever's going on." I said. "But I can still see why you're nervous."

"Which is it then?" He asked. "Should I be worried about here or not? Gosh, Hina, if she was in any sorta jam like this one, I don't know what she'd do, what any of us would do!"

"I don't know what to say, Sunagawa-kun."

"Yeah, no, it's okay. I shouldn't be shoving this off onto you." He said. "It's not your problem."

"But, even if it doesn't directly affect me, you're all torn up about it, and I can't just ignore that." I said.

"But it's not like there's anything you, no, either of us can do." He said. "The only way to even escape to help her would be to kill someone, and even then I don't know where she is!"

"Murder isn't the answer."

"I know it isn't! That's why I can't do anything!" He seemed really upset. "Look, I just, I don't want to have to worry about her."

"Then don't." I said. He looked at me, shocked. "I'm sure if she's your cousin, then she'll kick ass if anyone tries to lay a finger on her! It's easy to be protective over people younger than us, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't trust them to be strong enough. We have to protect them, but we also have to believe in them when we can't."

"Wow, Honrei-san, that was... inspiring." He said. "So, um, thanks for the encouragement. Now I'm sure Hina will be alright!"

"Yup! And Checko too!"

"Checko?"

"I'll tell you another time." I said. Almost as if on cue, the speakers crackled on.

"Greetings students! This is the Hope's peak water dome executive committee! Speaking to wish you a good night's sleep! Goodnight! Sleep tight! Don't let the piranhas bite!"

My eHandbook buzzed in my pocket along with Sunagawa's right as the announcement ended. I checked, and it was just a notification telling me that I was out at night.

"We should probably go back to the Dorm House." I said.

"Yeah, Maede-san'll be up my ass about this." He said. "Let me walk you back, at least."

"Sure, but we better go fast." I answered.

We walked at a brisk pace back to the Dorm House, and almost separated without a word, but Sunagawa stopped outside the Spring Wing.

"Listen, thanks again, Honrei-chan."

"Oh, of course." I said. "It was no problem. I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

"Yeah, see you tomorrow." He replied, and then left into his room.

I went back to my own room, and slept.

~

<Monokuma Theater 4>

"Building relationships is such a waste of time! I mean really! You spend all that time doing what? Talking? What good does talking do? Just makes you late for more important things that aren't standing around making mouth noises! And not only that! Talking to the wrong people could get you in big trouble! They get the wrong idea, and expect you to follow along with whatever nasty plan they have brewing! There's seriously too much of a risk for it to be worth a conversation."

~

"Gooood morning everyone! This is the Hope's Peak water dome executive committee wishing you the best of days! Just remember it's better down where it's wetter!"

I was drowsy when I woke up, but the air felt light. I breathed easily, and quickly got ready for the day.

Ajiyama met me outside my door and we walked to breakfast together. I managed to swallow a few mouthfuls of rice before anything major happened.

"Um, is there someone missing?" Nishimura asked. I looked around and saw she was right. Nearly everyone was gathered eating breakfast, except for one. Sunagawa wasn't there.

"Sunagawa-kun, right?" Gendou confirmed. "I can, go, um, check on him, maybe."

"That sounds like a good idea." Keina said. "I'll go with you, just in case."

"Oh, okay." Gendou said. The two walked off together towards the Spring Wing.

I ate a few more bites of rice, making small talk with my team.

Keina returned, jogging quickly with a nervous look on her face. She was deathly pale.

"So, uh, guys, there's something I think you should see." She said. Most of the people looked up. Keina anxiously teetered from side to side as she shifted her weight between her legs.

"Alright." Maede said, wiping her chin daintily and standing up. "Honrei-san, Nishimura-san, Ryouta-san, you all come along too. This seems like a deal for team leaders."

"S-sure." Nishimura said.

The four of us followed Keina to the door of Sunagawa's room, where Gendou was waiting. The door was slightly ajar.

I placed my hand on the doorknob, but even the bit of force caused it to swing open, slowness drawing out the suspense.

I froze in place at what lay before my eyes.

On the bed, covered in blood, with a deep wound in his stomach.

Sunagawa was dead.

END Chapter 1 Daily Life

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA


	6. Chapter One: Good Children Don't Play With Knives: Deadly Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The long awaited arrival

I couldn't believe what was right in front of my eyes. It wasn't possible. Only last night I had talked to Sunagawa, and now the ever-present blush on his cheeks had faded to a greenish dead appearance.

I bit back the bile rising in my throat.

"This is..." Ryouta spoke up, but barely said a word.

"How could this have happened?!" Maede asked, outraged. "Who could have done this?!"

I didn't say a word, myself.

The speakers in the Dorm House all came on at once.

"A body has been discovered! After a brief period of investigation the Class Trial will commence!"

"Class Trial?" The words fell soft on my lips. I took a few steps backwards, pushing through the small crowd of people by the door. I stopped once I was in an open area of the hall. I heard people coming up from behind me, a rush from the dining area. Ajiyama stopped by my side as I watched everyone else go forward.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

"I'm, I'm fine, I'll be fine." I said. "But Sunagawa, he-"

"I heard the announcement." She looked down. "I wonder if any one of us knows what's going to happen next."

"I do!" Monokuma appeared to say. "Hey! Hey! Everyone! Pay attention to me! Get over here and stop staring at the corpse! It's not like he's going to tell you anything!"

"Why, you!" Toshima said, whipping around and marching in monokuma's direction. "Don't go disrespecting him like that! Someone just died! I've got half a mind to-"

"To what? Break a rule and make a second dead body appear?" Monokuma snickered to himself. "That's been done already! Totally cliché! You ought to be more original."

"What do you want, monokuma?" Komori snapped.

"Well, I'm here to explain what happens next!" He replied. "I'm not so cruel as to leave you all in the dark!"

"Just get on with it, then." Iyakami said.

"Fine, fine! I'll tell you all then!" Monokuma said. "You all heard my bee-you-tiful announcement, right? Well, now that that's happened, that means the timer is ticking down to the start of the class trial! This means the graduation clause and rules seven through nine are in effect! Basically, it's the best time ever! Well, for me at least."

"Well it's not for us." Tomiko grumbled.

"Yeah, yeah, complain all you want, it won't bring him back to life." Monokuma said. "Anyways, the first thing I've got to do is give you losers the monokuma file!"

"The what?" Yanagi questioned.

"Oh, it's this cool file full of information about the murder that I've compiled for you!" Monokuma boasted. "I swear! You wouldn't be able to make it through the trial without it!"

"So, pertaining to this so-called 'trial'," Rukiro began.

"It's a battle of life and death!" Monokuma exclaimed. "If you all can figure out who dunnit, and you all vote correctly, majority vote that is, then the culprit will face the punishment! But if you fail, and vote for the wrong person, then everyone else gets punished!"

"And this punishment," I said. "Is it death?"

"Yup! You guessed it!" He said. "Execution!"

"Execution?" Maede gasped.

"Ex-e-cution!" Monokuma exclaimed. "I told you before, when we first met! How could you forget?"

My mind flashed back to remember the previous meeting.

~

"Yes, yes, execution!" Monokuma explained. "Beaten and bloodied by thrown stones, brains pulverized by high speed movement, burning at the stake, even being crushed by some giant brick falling from the sky!"

"Those were very specific." Yanagi said.

"Yes, well, you know how fun it is to think up things like that!"

~

"So, it really is a battle of death," Ajiyama said. "Whoever fails dies, those are really high stakes."

"I wouldn't have it any other way!" Monokuma said. "Anyways, you all know the rules, here, have the file. I'm getting out of here before the smell of corpse gets too stuck in my snout!"

With that one final statement, he was gone.

[Investigation Start]

"He didn't leave a file behind." Nishimura said, stating the obvious.

"It's probably in our eHandbooks, Raspberry-chan!" Mizuki said.

Deciding I probably needed to look at that first, I got out my eHandbook and pulled up a new tab titled "evidence". There was something already in there that looked like what I wanted.

"<Monokuma File 1>

The body was found lying on the bed in Sunagawa's Dorm Room. The victim was Sunagawa Fumio. He sustained a single stab wound to the abdomen before dying by exsanguination and organ trauma at the estimated time of death 10:30 PM. No other wounds were detected, and there were no traces of poison or other unusual substances."

[Monokuma File 1 has been added to the truth bullets]

Other people read silently to themselves while I was doing so, and most of us finished around the same time as well.

"Exsanguination?" Gendou asked. "Um, does anyone know what that means?"

"It's pretty much a fancy word for blood loss." Keina said. "Still a tragic way to die, though."

"Death is tragic no matter how it happens." Ajiyama said. "The best thing we can do is try to keep much more of it from happening."

"Right." I nodded in agreement and support.

"Let's get to it then!" Toshima said. Everyone almost started spearing out to investigate before Minagami called them back to attention.

"Wait." She said, in a commanding tone. "Should we not put some sort of system in place to ensure that no persons should have any opportunity to tamper with the existing evidence of a crime they have committed?"

"You mean like a guard?" Komori asked.

"I could do that!" Toshima offered. "I don't have the detective skills to do anything good looking around for stuff, but I can definitely make sure no one messes with what's there!"

"And what can we expect might _you_ be the culprit?" Minagami asked.

"But I'm not-"

"I'll stay behind too." Keina said. "I, probably should do an investigation of the body anyways, so I can try to keep an eye on things."

"That works out well then." Maede said. "I think we can all go off and investigate now."

Everyone then continued spreading out as if there had been no interruption, save Toshima and Keina, who both went into Sunagawa's room and stuck near the body. I went inside and approached Keina.

"Oh, Honrei-san." She said. "Sorry, but, it's going to take me a little while to do a full analysis of the body. You shouldn't waste your time waiting here, so go off and do some other things, I'll probably be done when you get back."

"Oh, okay," I said. I'd be lying if I tried to say I wasn't a bit dejected.

"Yooo! Honrei-chan!" Ajiyama called to me, a bit too loud considering we were in the same room. She was standing next to Mizuki and Yanagi, so I decided to respond and walk over to them.

"Was there something you wanted?" I asked.

"Well, you're the team leader, soooo," she dragged out the syllable. "What do you want us to do boss?"

Ajiyama stood at attention with a salute, but Yanagi and Mizuki didn't seem as enthusiastic about following orders.

"Um, well, I don't really think it's necessary for you guys to follow everything I say." I said. "So, just, um, do whatever you want, I guess."

"Oh, good." Yanagi said like a sigh before quickly leaving. Mizuki followed him only until the door, then went off in a different direction.

"What about you, Ajiyama-chan?" I asked.

"Hmm, well, I'd like to investigate alongside you, Honrei-chan!" She said. "If that's alright, I mean."

"Sure, of course." I replied. "Should we start at the scene of the crime?"

"Seems like a great idea to me!" She agreed. She paused for a moment, then put a finger to her mouth as if in thought and continued speaking. "So, don't you think it's suspicious?"

"What's suspicious?"

"This whole room? It's a mess, and not just in the way you'd expect from Sunagawa-kun. Everything is knocked over and broken." She said. "It's almost as if there was a fight here."

[Messy Room has been added to the truth bullets]

"And, um, this might just be me over-exaggerating, but did it seem like some people were more worried about the motive than others?"

"No, you're right." I said. "Like, Sunagawa-kun, he was really bothered by it, but other people, like Iyakami, seemed not to care at all."

"Do you think monokuma was trying to get a specific person to kill?" Ajiyama asked.

"It's possible? But not likely."

"But it could be important, knowing who might have reacted to the motive." She said. "If I remember right, Sunagawa-kun, Tomiko-chan, Gendou-kun, Komori-chan, Keina-chan, Nishimura-chan, Toshima-kun, and myself were the people who showed the most severe reactions, but there could be fault in my memory, or someone who hid their emotions well."

[Ajiyama's Account]

"Alright, well, that's all I had to say." Ajiyama concluded. "But I obviously don't know everything. You should probably go over things with people who would have unique knowledge, like the other team leaders."

"Yeah, I'll do that." I said. "But let's check around some more first for ourselves."

"Of course!"

I glanced around the room. Many people were still gathered in the vicinity.

"Listen, it's kind of crowded in here, so can we-"

"Sure, let's go look somewhere else." Ajiyama said, almost as if she read my mind. "Just remember we have to come back later to see what Keina-san has to say."

"Right," I nodded. I looked around briefly before deciding to walk towards the bathroom. There could be something important in there.

The moment I opened the door I was blinded by a white light. At least that's what it felt like, with how clean everything was. The tiles sparkled, causing a cascade of light in conjunction with the mirror.

"Wow!" Ajiyama said. "This is like, the opposite of Sunagawa's room!"

"Yeah," I agreed. There was a harsh glare on the lenses of my glasses.

"So we just look for something that stands out?" She asked, and then without waiting for an answer she pointed at the trash can. "What about that?"

It did have a large amount of contrast with the rest of the room, being a dark brown instead of glistening white, but it was still clean, so I didn't know how it could be suspicious. Ajiyama still decided to get down on her knees and start digging through it. I stood awkwardly to the side.

"There's only one thing in here." She said, leaning up after a few seconds. There was something in her hands that looked remarkably bloody.

"What, what is that?" I asked.

"It looks like some kind of brush." She answered.

"You mean, like a hair brush?"

"No, more like a paint brush." She stood up and held it closer for me to see, though I leaned a bit back fearing the incriminating stain it would leave on my shirt. "It's got a wooden handle, but it's been broken in half. It's all splintery..."

[Broken Brush]

"Alright, well, let's just leave it behind so anyone else can find it too if they look here." I said. Really I just didn't want to have it near me. "And wash your hands off too."

"Roger!" Ajiyama said. I looked away, but I heard the sink running for a few seconds. When I looked back Ajiyama's hands were clean and dry. "Well then, should we move on to the next room?" She asked. She gestured to the door opposite the one leading back to Sunagawa's room.

"Huh? Is that okay?" I asked. "I mean, that's Gendou's room, are we allowed to investigate in there?"

"Well, I don't think there are any rules against it." Ajiyama said. "And I'm sure Gendou-kun won't mind. After all, if we find something then it's important evidence, and if we don't find anything, he looks less guilty!"

"Well, if you're so sure." I said reluctantly.

"I am!" She replied. She hopped over to the door and opened it, revealing...

A completely empty room.

Well not _completely_. There was a bed, with reddish pinkish bedding, and a matching dresser and desk in a light wood color. It just felt barren. The room was completely devoid of any personal items. It seemed as if no one had been living there for the past few days.

"It looks like no one even lives here!" Ajiyama exclaimed, echoing my own thoughts.

"Yeah," I agreed. "It's really empty."

"The bathroom was too." She hummed in thought. "Both of them look obnoxiously tidy. Do you think Gendou-kun is okay?"

"Probably not." I replied.

[Empty Rooms]

"Say, though," Ajiyama said. "Do you think it's safe to assume that all of the pairs of boys and girls on each team share bathrooms like that?"

"I mean, probably."

"Alright..."

[Shared Bathrooms]

"Well, let's move on." She said. "Keina should have finished looking at the body by now, but, um, let's take the long way back."

"Sure." I nodded, eager to avoid entering the bright bathroom again. Ajiyama led the way over to the door and we both left quickly through it. As the door shut behind me, I heard something clatter. I turned around and saw that the name plate on the door was ajar. It looked like one of the screws wasn't tightened all the way.

"Huh? Whatcha lookin' at, Honrei-chan?" Ajiyama asked.

"This nameplate here," I answered, half mumbling.

"Gendou Minori." She read. "What's so weird about it?"

"Well, it's just, the screw is loose, and if I look closely, there are scratches all over the surface." I edged a fingernail between the metal plate and the wood of the door. "I bet, if I just-"

The placard clattered to the floor.

"You broke it!" Ajiyama gasped.

"I think it was already broken." I muttered. "Here, I'll just, put it back."

I slid the nameplate back into place and twisted the screws a few time with my fingernail to keep it in place. It still looked loose.

[Scratched Nameplate has been added to the truth bullets]

"Let's just move on before anyone gets suspicious of us." Ajiyama suggested. I nodded, and followed her around to the door to Sunagawa's room. Tomiko was standing there.

"Hey, Tomiko-chan!" Ajiyama greeted.

"Hiiiiii, Ajiyama-chan." Tomiko replied. "Heeellooo Honrei!"

"Um, hello?" I said, a bit confused. "Are you alright?"

"Never better!" She said. "Well, maybe, I mean, there's a body, after all! Hahaha!"

"Haha..."

"So, did you two need something?" She asked.

"No, just saying hi!" Ajiyama answered.

"Oh, I guess I'll stay here, then." Tomiko said, looking dejected. "I'm sure if I try to do anything Maede-san'll make a rule that says I can't anyways. She's been making all sorts of rules lately, even after we told her off! Next thing you know I won't even be allowed to be sad over Sunagawa-kun dying."

"I'm sure that's not true." I said, trying to comfort her.

"You haven't been forced to live under her tyranny!" Tomiko responded. "There rules are ridiculous! There's even one saying I'm not allowed to share the content of the rules with you!"

[Tomiko's Account has been added to the truth bullets]

Tomiko's ID buzzed in her pocket, the signature sign that a rule had been broken.

"Oh shit."

The next moment, Maede burst out of Sunagawa's room, stepping up uncomfortably close to Tomiko.

"What did I say to you about the next time you broke a rule?!" She shouted, grabbing the collar of Tomiko's jacket. Then she must have noticed us, because she loosened her grip and forced a smile. "Oh, sorry guys, guess I shouldn't tell her off in front of company, right?"

I nodded in agreement. Maede dropped Tomiko, who started brushing out the new creases in her jacket.

"Y'all two are probly headed to hear from Keina 'bout the body, yeah?" Maede asked. "Afterwards, Honrei-san, can you be a dear and meet me outside my room? I'm callin' a meetin' with the Team Leaders."

"Oh, sure." I said. I didn't really want to go, but there was a chance I would gain some new information. "I'll try to be quick, then."

Using that as a farewell, I opened the door to Sunagawa's room. Ajiyama followed me inside. There were still a few people here, but a lot of them had scattered by now. Keina was still leaned over the body, with a concentrated look. I hated to break her out of her thoughts, but before I could be so rude, Ajiyama did it for me.

"Keina-san, did you finish looking at the body yet?" Ajiyama asked, poking Keina's shoulder. Keina jumped up a bit.

"Um, yeah, I've been trying to find more, but there isn't much to fine." She said. "He's got almost no injuries. The only one that looks recent is the one in his stomach. The rest are probably occupational."

"Sorry, what do you mean?" I asked.

"He got them while skating, or surfing, or snowboarding." She answered. "But, um, there was one other thing." I listened attentively. "Inside the wound, there was a bit of shrapnel. It looked like wooden splinters, but I couldn't tell, since they were covered in, uh..."

"Blood." Ajiyama finished. "Say, do you have any idea when he was killed? I don't trust that bear."

"Well, I don't actually have that much experience with that sort of thing, but if I had to wager a bet, I'd say he was stabbed shortly before the nighttime announcement, and bled out after that until he died, at around 10:10 like Monokuma said."

[Keina's Body Analysis has been added to the truth bullets]

"Thanks, Keina-san, is that all?" I asked.

"Yeah, I think so." She said. "You've got a meeting, right? Mean ol' Maede-chan wouldn't invite me, something about 'Team Leaders only'. Well, you better get to it. Don't wanna leave a lady waiting."

"Sure." I said, then turned to Ajiyama. "Are you going to be alright?"

"Yeah of course! There's something I wanted to check out, actually." She said. "I'll get Mizuki-kun and Yanagi-kun to help me though, so don't worry."

"Alright then." I said. "See you later, Ajiyama-chan."

"Don't day it so sad, Honrei-chan." Ajiyama pouted. "We'll be fine."

I waved to Ajiyama and Keina, and then walked out of the room. There was no one outside Sunagawa's room now, so I went straight to the meet up place near Maede's door.

"Geez, took you long enough." She said upon my sight. "We've been waiting for you."

Ryouta and Nishimura made no comment.

"What did you need us all here for?" I asked, ignoring her complaints.

"I just wanted to ask a few questions is all." She replied. "Like, we all had the nighttime rule in effect, that no one can leave their room at night, and no one nullified it, right?"

The three of us nodded in response.

[Nighttime Rule has been added to the truth bullets]

"And, you all know about the thing that happens if someone breaks the rules, right?" She continued.

"Um, no, sorry, what do you mean?" Nishimura asked.

"Well, if someone breaks a rule, then a notification is sent to both their ID and the ID of their Team leader." I said. "That way we know the rule has been broken."

"Oh, I've never gotten a notification like that, sorry." Nishimura said.

"I have." Ryouta commented, and then to explain, "Komori was sleep walking."

"I've gotten plenty. A whole bunch of trouble makers on my team." Maede said. As if it was their fault for doing things rather than hers for making the rules. "I mean, have you _seen_ Tomiko-san?"

[Rule Notifications has been added to the truth bullets]

"I think you just have more rules than everyone else." I said.

"Anyways," she ignored me. "My point in asking all of this is if anyone was outside last night, it's kind of suspicious? Right? So if we just confer with each other, we can make a suspect list!"

"Well, like I said, no one on my team has broken any rules." Nishimura said. "The same goes for last night."

"None last night for me." Ryouta agreed.

"The only one gone for the Spring Team was Sunagawa-kun." Maede said. "What about you, Honrei-san?"

"I was the only one out last night, actually." I said, feeling all of their eyes turn to me in shock and worry.

"Well then," Maede said, and I was afraid she was going to accuse me right then and there. "Thank you all for being cooperative. That's all I needed."

[Team Leaders' Accounts has been added to the truth bullets]

Maede left without another word. I was about to as well, but then something caught my eye. The nameplate on Maede's door was crooked. I stepped closer to try and fix it, but when I touched it, it fell to the floor.

I picked it up, and noticed that alongside the engraving of Maede's name, there were scratches littering the surface.

[Scratched Nameplates has been updated in the truth bullets]

I screwed the nameplate back into place with my fingernail again. I turned around to leave, only to jump in shock at what I saw next.

"Hi, Honrei-chan!" Ajiyama said, her face far too close to my own. "I finished up my thing, and I was right that you'd still be here! How lucky!"

"Yeah, great timing." I said. What were you checking, by the way, and where did Yanagi-kun and Mizuki-kun go? You were with them, right?"

"They went off to do their own thing." She shrugged. "Weren't that interested in sticking with me after I finished up. I'm sure you'll love to hear, though!"

"So?" I prodded.

"You know how none of us heard the surf boards falling over or any of the other noises about things crashing and all?" She made motions with her hands to demonstrate as she spoke. I nodded once she was finished to indicate that I did know what she was talking about, though I hadn't thought about it. "It's because all of the rooms are sound proof! The only time they wouldn't be is when the bathroom doors are open, and that would only be between the two adjoined rooms!"

I considered asking her how she tested that the rooms were soundproof, but decided against it.

[Soundproofed Rooms has been added to the truth bullets]

"Are you ready to move on, then? Ajiyama asked. "I think we've investigated around here thoroughly, but there might be something elsewhere, right?"

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." I said. "The laundry building is nearby, we could check there first, right?"

"That sounds great!" She smiled. "Let's go."

Ajiyama took exaggerated wide steps towards the entrance of the dorm house, though, I supposed it would be the exit at the moment. I followed her with a more average gait. I didn't really watch where we were going, only followed Ajiyama, so I was a bit startled when she stopped abruptly in front of me. I almost walked straight into her back.

"Sorry, Ajiyama-san." I said, still looking down and taking the opportunity to step back some.

"It should be _me_ you're apologizing to, not her." I heard Minagami say. I looked up to see her standing there, Rukiro by her side as always. "It should be within your abilities to affix your attention to your surrounding enough so as to not confront a superior in such a barbaric way."

"I didn't see you, sorry Minagami-san, Rukiro-san." I said.

"Obviously," Rukiro spat in disdain.

"Ah, alright, well, we'll be going then." Ajiyama said, cutting through the serious tone there had been.

"You dare to think that you could get away with your mistake that easily?" Minagami demanded. "Your apology was nowhere near sufficient."

"Why should we stop for your sake?" Ajiyama asked. "For all we know, you could be the murderer and be trying to keep us from investigating."

"Well! I never!" Minagami gasped.

"Preposterous. That is impossible." Rukiro said.

"Why is it impossible?" I asked. "Everyone seems to have an equal chance of being guilty right now."

" _We_ have an alibi." Minagami said. "Nori and I spent _all_ of last night together." Rukiro nodded to confirm.

"There was no point before the occurrence of Sunagawa's unfortunate passing we were not in each other's sights." He said.

[Minagami and Rukiro's Account]

"Right, well, then, if neither of you are the murderer then there's no point asking you for evidence." Ajiyama said. "So we're _leaving_."

She marched off, and I was left with little choice by to smile an apology for her behavior to Minagami and Rukiro before following her. After we were out of earshot, almost to the laundry building, I decided to speak up.

"Why were you acting like that to them?" I asked.

"They deserve it. They're bad people."

"How can you say that?"

"I get a vibe."

Ajiyama pushed open the door to the laundry building, silencing me as I cringed at the sound of the bell. Once I had recovered and stepped through, I looked around the room. Everything looked normal, that is, except-

"What's that?" Ajiyama gasped. Near the side of the room, not especially hidden, was a highly suspicious, pink, sparkling, duralumin box. There were stacks of different colored bottles next to it and all sorts of supplies that I didn't understand alongside that. I kneeled down, and opened the lid of the box, revealing an array of even more tubes and containers and brushes and other tools. It looked overly complex.

[Supply Box has been added to the truth bullets]

I was about to ask Ajiyama about what we had found, but before I could, the speakers and monitor in the laundry room switched on, displaying monokuma, as annoying as always.

"Attention! Ahem! The investigation period has now concluded! Please make your way to the meeting hall at this time! And be quick about it!"

The monitor clicked off, Ajiyama turned to me.

"I guess we better go, then." She said. I nodded.

By the time we made it to the meeting hall, everyone else was already gathered there. As soon as we stepped through the door, monokuma appeared onstage.

"Welcome, welcome, if you would please step through this door into the elevator! I'll meet you in the trial room!" He disappeared again, and the curtains at the back of the stage parted to reveal a door, which then slid open. All fifteen of us filed into the space, and once there, the doors shut and the elevator lurched downward. Nobody said a word until the doors opened again, revealing a decorated trial room. Despite having just met us upstairs, monokuma was already waiting for us again.

"Well, glad you all made it!" He said. "Well, all of you, except one." He was the only one snickering. "Anyhow, please take your assigned seats, labeled accordingly, and the trial can begin!"

I walked up to the many trial stands each in turn, all in a circle facing the middle, until I found my own. I looked at the walls around me. The best word to describe them was grungy. Geometrical shapes that looked like obstacles created the scenery, with snow or sand on top of some, and water cascading others, though a few were still blank.

I looked across the trial room at Yanagi, and to everyone else on my left and right. I was trying to get serious, but suddenly the ground under my feet started moving. The entire set of trial stands had lifted up slightly and started to spin, getting up to a significant speed. Monokuma popped up on one side, but he was stationary, so his relation to the rest of us kept changing. I gripped the trial stand and readied myself as he spoke.

"Let the class trial... Begin!"

 


	7. Chapter One: Good Children Don't Play with Knives: Trial- Part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is suggested to reread the investigation chapter before continuing on to this chapter if you are not reading the two consecutively.

I steadied myself as the trial room kept spinning, but eventually got used to it as I listened to monokuma speak, repeating out the rules.

"Well then, well then, well then!" He said. "Welcome to my trial room! I hope you enjoy your despairing stay! Now then! The rules are simple! Figure out the culprit, or you die!"

"I'm gonna die already with how fast we're spinning." Komori groaned. "Seriously, like, was this at all necessary?"

"Since this is your first trial, I'll be nice and give you a starting point." Monokuma continued. "How about... hmmmm... the cause of death!"

"Huh? Well, that one's easy." Toshima said. "It was even in the monokuma file, and just from seein' the body, it sounds correct, even if that monokuma guy isn't all that trustworthy."

"Well, it's possible that we could be more specific." I said. "Let's look into this."

<Nonstop Debate!>

Narrator: Hold up! A short little introduction to how things work for you!

Narrator: **Bold text is a truth bullet.**

Narrator: Underlined text is a weak spot.

Narrator: Now, then! Go get em!

Truth Bullets: **Keina's Body Analysis, Monokuma File 1, Messy Room**

Keina: Well, uh-

Minagami: The file listed "Blood loss" as the cause of death, correct?

Keina: Yes, that's right, but-

Iyakami: It's more a matter of what caused him to bleed out, then?

Mizuki: Mizuki-kun thinks it might be something that's not obvious like a small cut somewhere!

Mizuki: Mizuki-kun means, that's how he'd kill someone! It'd make a great red herring!

Keina: Actually, um-

Ryouta: You're right, something no one would notice seems easier to pull off.

Nishimura: But I don't know how fast that would, uh, kill him, uh...

Nishimura: You'd have to cause, um, a lot of injuries to, uh, make it fast enough.

Yanagi: It'd just make it easier to injure him without going out at night.

Gendou: That must be it, then. It's a small hidden injury.

Rukiro: Then is it presumptuous to proceed to what implement had the ability to bring to fruition the injury which created this situation?

Honrei: _No, I can't let us get off track here, something's wrong, I need to stop it before it gets too far._

\--- **Keina's Body Analysis** \-- > "small hidden injury"

Honrei: No! That's wrong!

<END>

"Huh, did I say something weird?" Gendou asked. "I'm sorry, sorry for, uh, whatever it is I said."

"No, don't worry, it wasn't just you, Gendou-kun." I said. "There's no way the injury was small, right Keina-san?"

"Yes! Right!" Keina looked excited to finally be given opportunity to speak. "There were no injuries anywhere on Sunagawa's body aside from the wound in his abdomen. There weren't any signs of internal injury, either."

"Then, it was definitely the stomach wound." Ajiyama said. "Thanks, Keina-san! That was a big help!"

"Of course! Anything I can do to help everyone!"

"Is there anything this tells us about the case, then?" Maede asked. "I mean, anyone could have stabbed him in the stomach, no big deal, right?"

"No, I'm sure there's something to this." I replied. "We just have to find it."

<Nonstop Debate>

Narrator: Sorry! Forgot, one more thing. **"Bold text with quotes around it"** is a memorized statement! Use them to your advantage.

Truth Bullets: **Soundproofed Rooms, Broken Brush, Scratched Nameplates**

Komori: Sooo, what're we lookin' at here?

Rukiro: Perhaps the shape of the wound contains some hint as to what the utilized device could be.

Yanagi: Or maybe the depth of the injury?

Toshima: I dunno, maybe it's something as simple as some stuff left behind?

Maede: No, no, no, there's nothing to be found in the wound itself, that's obvious, isn't it?

Ajiyama: Unless it's not!

Honrei: _There **was** something, though, I remember it, so I've got to point it out to everyone else!_

\--- **"some stuff left behind"**  --> "nothing to be found"

Honrei: No, that's wrong!

<END>

"The stomach wound actually contains a huge clue to the murder weapon, Maede-san." I interjected. "Inside of it, there were wooden splinters."

"You checked in there?" Iyakami sneered. "That's disgusting."

"I did, actually." Keina said. "Don't worry, Iyakami-san. I'm used to it. It's my job, after all."

"That doesn't make it any less disgusting." He replied.

"But, um," Nishimura mumbled. "What do the splinters mean?"

"Well, when you take a different piece of evidence into account, it becomes obvious what the weapon was, right, Hornei-chan?" Ajiyama asked. I nodded before speaking.

"Exactly, and that piece of evidence,"

<Select Evidence>

\--> "Broken Brush"

"That's it!"

<END>

"Inside Sunagawa's shared bathroom, in the trash can, there was a broken brush." I said.

"You mean like a hair brush?" Ryouta questioned, interrupting me. "Combs are more useful, in my opinion."

"No, more like a paint brush." I answered. "It was definitely splintery, and it had blood on it."

"So you're saying that's the murder weapon?" Toshima asked. "Woulda thought it was somethin' more like a knife. You know, the classics."

"That _does_ seem significantly less... brutal." Minagami said.

"Maybe killer-chan didn't plan it out enough to go get a knife, so they just used something on hand!" Mizuki suggested.

"Killer-chan..." Gendou mumbled, a bit in shock.

"That's getting into the motivations of the murderer a bit ahead of time." Ajiyama said. "Let's stick to the details of the case for now, and then when we find the killer we can just ask them for their motivations."

"Alright, well then, let's talk about that paintbrush." Maede said.

"Yeah, it's probably important." I agreed.

<Nonstop Debate>

Truth Bullets: **Scratched Nameplates, Tomiko's Account, Supply Kit**

Yanagi: Let's see, we're trying to connect the broken paint brush to the culprit, correct?

Toshima: Well, they had to get it somewhere, maybe someone saw them along the way?

Ajiyama: No, I think the brush probably belonged to the culprit.

Komori: Then, who had the paintbrush! That's the question?

Tomiko: Oh! Oh! Or maybe, they actually did get it somewhere else?

Tomiko: I mean, those rooms we woke up in had some school supplies.

Keina: I'm not sure, couldn't there actually be no connection?

Keina: It could easily be a red herring.

Gendou: Yeah, um, they could have gotten it from someone else's room to frame them.

Maede: Or not.

Gendou: O-oh, alright.

Ajiyama: There's definitely something incriminating going on here, though.

Honrei: _I can't help but agree with Ajiyama here. The brush has a clear connection to the case._

\--- **Supply Kit** \-- > "no connection"

Honrei: No! That's wrong!

<END>

"I know where the paintbrush came from, and it's probably a big clue." I said.

"Oh, do tell." Minagami replied, leaning forward with her arms crossed on top of her trial stand. I supposed it was a more sophisticated way of keeping her balance.

"Right..." I paused to collect my thoughts. "Anyways, Ajiyama and I checked out the Laundry Room, just in case, before monokuma called us to the trial, and there was something we just couldn't ignore there."

"Oh! You mean _that_?" Ajiyama asked.

"Tch, what, was someone stupid enough to try and wash their bloodied shirt while the water wasn't turned on?" Iyakami rolled his eyes, with enough specificity in his statement to imply someone had done this before.

"No, actually, inside the Laundry room there was a sparkling pink duralumin case," I said. "And when we opened it, it was filled with brushed just like the one we found in the trash, and all sorts of other things too. Pigments, and things like that. Judging by the pile of stuff next to it, it wasn't meant to be there originally."

"So, um, the culprit moved it there?" Nishimura asked.

"That's what I think." I said.

"Then, from which location did the case originate?" Rukiro asked.

I knew the answer to this question too. I just had to think a little.

<Choice>

"Sunagawa's Room"

"The Kitchen"

"Gendou's Room"

\---

**Gendou's Room**

"That's it!"

<END>

"The room adjacent to Sunagawa's, along with the shared bathroom between them, were ridiculously clean, in other words, Gendou's room." I said.

"W-what?" Gendou gasped, paling somewhat.

"I can't help but wonder; 'where did all of his stuff go?'" I continued. "Simple, it was moved to the Laundry Room."

"But, there's no way Gendou-kun did it!" Tomiko exclaimed. "I won't believe it!"

"Well, you're right, it's a bit early to be building up an accusation against a single person." Ajiyama said. "We haven't even looked at the whole case yet."

"Then, what's there to look at?" Ryouta asked.

"Let's try thinking of what Sunagawa was doing before he died, and with that, who he could have encountered." I suggested.

"S-sure." Gendou murmured.

<Nonstop Debate>

Narrator: Oops! Sorry, I promise this is the last thing.

Narrator: _Text that is both italicized and underlined_ is just like plain underlined weak spots, except it's something you can agree with!

Truth Bullets: **Minagami and Rukiro's Account, Tomiko's Account, Keina's Body Analysis**

Mizuki: let's see, hm, how did this all start?

Keina: Well, um, Sunagawa was stabbed sometime around the nighttime announcement.

Maede: It was probably before, 'else one of us captains would have been told about someone sneakin' after dark.

Gendou: I have doubts about that, though...

Maede: You what?

Gendou: Sorry!

Maede: Besides, there was someone who was out at night, so even if I'm wrong, I'm still right.

Toshima: Mighta there been _another possibility,_ though?

Maede: Nope, I'm sure I've got the right idea here.

Tomiko: I _wasn't out last night!_ I know that!

Yanagi: Neither were most of us.

Honrei: _They're trying to make me look suspicious here, but I can't just let that happen._

\--- **Minagami and Rukiro's Account** \-- > " _another possibility_ "

Honrei: I agree!

<END>

"Excusez-moi? Whatever does my _alibi_ have to do with _this_ conversation?" Minagami demanded.

"It's not necessarily the proving innocence part that interests me right now, Minagami-san." I explained. "Rather, under all assumptions, it clashes with another piece of evidence."

<Select Evidence>

"Team Leaders' Accounts"

"That's it!"

<END>

"Nishimura-san, if I'm correct, you've never received a notification for any of the Winter Team breaking a rule?" I asked.

"Um, yes? I still haven't." She replied.

"And, the nighttime rule is still instated?"

"Yes! Uh," she fumbled to get her ID out and show us that the rule was indeed still there.

"Where are you getting with this?" Ryouta sighed.

"Well you see, Minagami-san and Rukiro-san have been sharing their rooms. At nighttime." I said. "Doesn't that seem a bit odd? I mean, if we were supposed to be getting notifications whenever someone was outside their room at night, why did their actions not trigger the rule for Nishimura-san?"

"From a legal standpoint, the wording of the rule could be a bit tricky." Ajiyama hummed. "Wasn't it something like 'no exploration at nighttime'? So basically, we aren't allowed _in the hallways_ at night."

"Exactly." I said. "So as long as anyone was within a room before the nighttime announcement, and they didn't leave until the morning announcement, they wouldn't trigger the rule. We never clarified it had to be your own room. No one on the Spring Team checked Sunagawa's room before we found his body, right?"

"No, none of us did." Maede answered. "Something about someone insisting I be more lax on my rules and protection of my teammates."

"Then, _anyone_ could have hid in Sunagawa's room for the duration of the night and killed him without anyone finding them out just because of the rules." I said. Everyone stood in shock for a few seconds.

"Wow! Congratulations, Squirrel-chan! You've narrowed down our suspect list to _everyone_!" Mizuki said. Even I caught the sarcasm.

"Not everyone." Rukiro corrected. "Our alibi still stands."

"How _nice_ for you." Komori smiled bitterly. "Too bad you'll be dying anyways since we can't solve this trial!"

"Hey, hey, let's not be so hostile." Keina pleaded. "There's still evidence to go over, we can still make things more definite."

"Well, what about this," Tomiko interjected. "Since we don't have a small idea of who _could_ have done it, let's try who _would_ have. There was a motive, right?"

"Oh! I know a lot about this kind of thing!" Ajiyama said.

<Nonstop Debate>

Truth Bullets: **Tomiko's Account, Ajiyama's Account, Minagami and Rukiro's Account**

Ajiyama: Everyone had different motives, right?

Ajiyama: So everyone reacted differently!

Minagami: The most rational people should be innocent.

Rukiro: It matters not to us, since we are aware of each other's status.

Komori: Yeah, yeah, fuck each other on your own time, straighties.

Minagami: Excuse me?!

Ajiyama: Anyways, to address your statement, Minagami,

Ajiyama: Extreme reaction does not indicate guilt, or vice versa.

Tomiko: Does it matter anyways? It's not like someone kept a log of responses.

Iyakami: So why are we discussing this?

Nishimura: Um, maybe we're missing something?

Toshima: We couldn't discuss something _irrelevant,_ could we?

Honrei: _I feel like we're getting off track, I've got to get this back where it needs to be._

\--- **Ajiyama's Account** \-- > "kept a log of responses"

Honrei: No, that's wrong!

<END>

"We actually have a good idea of who responded more severely." I said. "Thanks to Ajiyama's anthropology skills, that is."

"Right! Sunagawa-kun himself, along with Tomiko-chan, Gendou-kun, Komori-chan, Keina-chan, Nishimura-chan, and myself were the most open about negative emotions afterwards." Ajiyama said. "That doesn't mean one of us did it, though."

"Um, I, I wouldn't have done it!" Nishimura stammered.

"As much as we'd like to believe you, we can't be sure on word alone, Nishimura-chan." I said. "But there is something we can look at."

"What do you mean?" Gendou asked.

"Well, we look at the motives themselves, not the reactions." I explained. "For example, my video was of my childhood friend Checko, and Sunagawa's was his little cousin Hina-chan."

"Wait, how do you know his secret?" Toshima asked.

"And isn't that in infringement of privacy?" Keina added.

"Well, I don't really think he has any sort of privacy now." I said. "After all, wasn't it you who was digging in his wounds to inspect his body, Keina-san? But, well, he told me. That's how I know. Last night, I went for a walk, and he found me, so we talked about things, the motive and stuff."

"He considered you a confidant, and you betrayed his personal information?" Minagami tutted. "How quite."

"Isn't the bigger deal here something else?" Maede asked. "I mean, Honrei was with the victim right before the murder!"

"Doesn't saying 'victim' kinda erase Sunagawa's humanity?" Komori commented, twirling her hair and glancing to the side. "Denying that, murder is no longer a crime."

"Fine then, she was with _Sunagawa_ right before he died." Maede said, indignant. "He's dead! And she the only one besides him to be out at night!"

"Well, I can't disprove you on that, Maede-san." I said. "However, I can prove my innocence in another way."

<Select Evidence>

"Soundproofed Rooms"

"That's it!"

<END>

"I have a feeling our suspect list is a lot larger than it should be." I said.

"And how's that? Don't go off topic." Maede said.

"Gendou-kun, did you happen to hear something last night?" I asked.

"Um, no, I didn't." He answered.

"And that's exactly it." I said.

"Explain. Please." Iyakami said.

_One more piece of evidence for this to make sense._

<Select Evidence>

"Messy Room"

"That's it!"

<END>

"In case you didn't notice, Sunagawa-kun's Room was a total mess." I said.

"And what does a comment on his character mean at a time like this?" Ryouta asked.

"No, not like that." I said. "His room clearly showed there was a struggle there. Everything in sight was knocked over. So someone would have heard it."

Minagami: Of all absurd fool headed things!

<Rebuttal Showdown>

Truth Bullets: **Soundproofed Rooms, Messy Rooms, Shared Bathrooms**

Honrei: Sorry, what?

Minagami: Was it not you who just now referenced the fact the rooms are soundproofed?

Minagami: Were that truly the case,

Minagami: Your argument that someone would hear does not stand.

Minagami: Any sort of assailant could hide safely

Minagami: And not cause any noise at all.

Honrei: That's not right, Minagami-san.

Honrei: Someone would have heard.

Minagami: Do you not understand the word "soundproof"?

Minagami: It means that no one can hear one way or another.

Minagami: It's extremely simple, as long as you're not a, hmmm,

Minagami: Imbecile?

Minagami: So, there's no other way to put it.

Minagami: _There was no way anyone could have heard the attack._

\--- **Shared Bathrooms** \---

Honrei: I'll cut that claim to pieces!

<END>

"Someone, and I mean someone in specific, would have heard." I insisted. "The doors to the bathrooms, shared between adjacent rooms, were not soundproofed like the other doors and walls. So the person in the room next to Sunagawa-kun's, Gendou-kun, would definitely have heard."

"Fine, I'll admit my defeat. Just this once." Minagami said.

"Wait, um," Gendou mumbled. "Well, uh, never mind."

"Was there something you needed to say, Gendou-kun?" Tomiko asked.

"N-no, it's nothing." He said.

"Well, okay." Tomiko mumbled.

"What next, then?" Komori asked.

"Tut tut, can you not see the obvious here?" Maede asked. "If Honrei couldn't have done it because Gendou would have heard, then _nobody_ could have. Unless, of course, Honrei is wrong."

"She's not!" Ajiyama interrupted. "I made sure to check thoroughly with Mizuki-kun and Yanagi-kun!"

"Right," I said. "So no one could have done it, except, of course-"

<Select Suspect>

\-- Gendou Minori --

"It could only be you!"

<END>

"You don't uh, you're not-" Gendou stuttered.

"Sorry, Gendou-kun, it's all that makes sense right now." I said. "Unless you have something to prove me wrong?" I almost hoped he did. There was no way I could be right about this.

"I, uh, I, I, I c-can't!" He said, tone almost whining. "I didn't, I d-didn't do it!"

"And were supposed to believe that? Risk our lives on it?" Iyakami asked. "We've narrowed it down, there's no other possibility.

"B-but, there's a reason I couldn't have!" He shouted.

"Can you tell us, then, Gendou-kun?" Keina pleaded.

"I can't!"

"Then, Gendou-kun, this is off topic, of course, but can I ask you something?" I said. He whimpered in response, nodding his head. "Why was your room so clean? Was there a reason?"

"H-huh? M-my room? I didn't clean it or anything. It should have been the same as always." He replied. "I mean, all my stuff was there, right? I didn't move it."

_But that doesn't match up at all._ I thought to myself. _There's no way that's how things happened. If Gendou didn't move his things, then who did?_

I looked around the trial room. Something fishy was going on here, and this case might've been more complicated than I originally thought. I didn't know what "facts" I could trust anymore.

Were we really lost?

<PAUSE>

Monokuma: Well now, well now! How am I meant to do a mid-trial comedy routine without a partner?

Monokuma: Oh well, I'll survive!

Monokuma: Even if our beloved characters don't!

Monokuma: Vote now on your phones! Who dunnit? The first one to get it right gets a grand prize!

Monokuma: Now, what's that prize? You'll have to wait and see!

Monokuma: Just kidding! I'll tell you right here, right now!

Monokuma: This marvelous, once in a lifetime prize, is none other than-

Monokuma: _Death._

Monokuma: I mean, if you know who did it this early on, you must have done it yourself, right?

Monokuma: Or maybe that's an empty threat!

Monokuma: You'll just have to try it and find out!

Monokuma: See you next time!

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took forever, because I felt really bad about it being so short! I kept waiting and trying to add bits in wherever I could to try and make it the regular chapter length of 4,000. I couldn't really just split the chapter at a later point either for the purpose of flow. But finally I decided to just up and post it, because I figured that you all would enjoy a shorter chapter now more than a slightly longer chapter later. Hopefully the next chapter will come sooner. Remember to comment with your freetime requests so I can get quick on that sweet Ch2.


	8. Chapter One: Good Children Don't Play with Knives: Trial- Part Two

Monokuma: So let's review!

Monokuma: Ajiyama Yoshie states that adjacent rooms shouldn't be soundproof!

Monokuma: Therefore, the person in the room next to Sunagawa's should have heard a ruckus!

Monokuma: However, Gendou Minori claims to have heard nothing!

Monokuma: So the only one who could have done it is claiming to be innocent!

Monokuma: Furthermore, his room is empty, with no explanation!

Monokuma: The only question is, who's the one lying here?!

Monokuma: And will they be brought to justice?!

Monokuma: Oh well, not like I care.

<RESUME>

I wasn't sure if Gendou did it, but that was what everyone else believed. The evidence was stacked against him, but still...

"Gendou-kun, you didn't clean your room?" I asked. I needed to find the truth of this situation.

"Um, yeah, I just said that." He answered.

"What about the bathroom?" I continued. "You didn't clean that either?"

"Uh, well, I did, but not especially recently." He said. "I don't understand, what are you getting at?"

"Both your room and the bathroom shared with Sunagawa were disturbingly tidy and clean. They were empty and devoid of nearly anything, aside from basic furniture." I explained. "It's like someone was trying to get rid of evidence there. It's more suspicious really, than clearing anyone of guilt."

"Could he not have only kept tidy as a regular practice?" Rukiro asked.

"No, I'm telling you, like, ridiculously clean." I insisted. "All of our rooms have personal items, and we would have soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, at the least in the bathroom, but there was none of that. Nothing that indicated anyone ever lived there."

"Then, are we sure someone _did_ live there?" Ajiyama asked, looking down.

"Sorry, that doesn't quite make sense?" Keina said, in a bit of a questioning tone. "I mean, we all had our own rooms, and we all, ahem, most of us, stayed in those rooms every night."

"No, um, hmm, I'm not sure how I mean to put this." Ajiyama hummed. "I mean, what if Gendou-kun wasn't there last night?"

<Nonstop Debate>

Truth Bullets: **Tomiko's Account, Scratched Nameplates, Minagami and Rukiro's Account**

Ajiyama: There's a chance, even, that Gendou-kun was never in that room.

Minagami: Are you a complete moron? There's no way that makes sense.

Minagami: No one wants to be accused, correct? So why would Gendou-san no say something to prove innocence?

Mizuki: Mizuki-kun thinks _he probably couldn't_.

Minagami: Oh, and is he mute now instead of just someone who stutters incessantly?

Ryouta: That was uncalled for.

Minagami: Well, I don't think he's someone sadistic who wants to doom us all.

Maede: Let's just say _he's the killer_.

Maede: I mean, that's what the evidence points to.

Gendou: B-but, I, uh,

Komori: Or! Maybe!

Komori: He was having a _secret affair_!

Komori: So he couldn't endanger his sweetheart by telling anyone!

Gendou: N-no, I-

Maede: Well, what is it, are you _going to confess_?

Honrei: _Gendou can't seem to articulate himself. I'll just have to explain it in his stead._

\--- **Tomiko's Account** \-- > " _he probably couldn't_ "

Honrei: I agree!

<END>

"Most of you were there the morning that we argued with Maede-san over all the rules she was making." I said.

"Yup!" Mizuki said. "What was the prize you got for beating the miniboss, by the way?"

"Well, it seems even with that, Maede had continued making the rules." I said, ignoring the part of Mizuki's statement I didn't understand. "According to Tomiko-san, and confirmed by her ID going off, there's even a rule that Spring Team members cannot tell others the content of the rules."

"Wait, isn't that kind of excessive?" Toshima asked.

"Yes, it is." I agreed. "And if I could wager a bet, I'd say there's a rule that prevents them from speaking out against each other in trial. 'Team bonding and unity', you know? Gendou-kun has always followed the rules well, but now that good habit is working against him."

"Oh- oh no," Gendou sighed.

"And how do you plan to prove that rule exists?" Maede asked, a bit demandingly. "We have plenty of team unity without it."

"Tomiko-chan, can you help me out here?" I asked.

"Sure thing!" Tomiko pulled out her eHandbook, a bit too cheery to be breaking rules, and tapped it a few times before showing it off to the rest of us. She read it aloud, as if she had it memorized.

"No one team member can present evidence in trial which may incriminate any other member."

"And what was it you said about having fewer rules?" Ajiyama asked in Maede's direction, full of snark.

"This was necessary for group cooperation." She replied, nose turned up.

"Was it really?" Nishimura asked.

"But look where it actually got your team." Iyakami said. "Dead, and then afterwards accused of murder! That's sure to make them truth you."

"I'm not really sure someone without the responsibility of being a team leader has the authority to speak on the issue." Maede said.

"Ryouta-kun has a kind of laissez-fair way of doing things." Komori said. "It makes us all a lot more like equals."

"We're getting off topic." Yanagi said. "Wasn't the point of this explaining why Gendou-san couldn't prove his innocence?"

"So then, now he can!" Toshima said. "Right?"

Gendou shook his head tightly, with a look of fear.

"I, um, I mean, I can't." He finally said.

"Just because we've clarified there's a rule against it doesn't mean he'll be comfortable breaking that rule." Ajiyama said.

"So, then what?" Tomiko asked. "I'm not entirely sure what we're looking for here either, if I'm honest. I'm not always the brightest of the bunch."

"That's okay, Tomiko-chan." Ajiyama said. "You've still be really helpful."

"But, since Gendou-kun can't say why he's not the killer." Keina said. "What can we do?"

"We'll just have to do it for him!" I said.

<Nonstop Debate>

Truth Bullets: **Scratched Nameplates, Empty Rooms, Broken Brush**

Ajiyama: Well, my theory from before that we got stuck on because we didn't know why Gendou-kun wasn't proving his innocence still stands.

Komori: What was that again?

Yanagi: Something along the lines of Gendou-san not being in the room from the start?

Toshima: Sorry, but that doesn't really make sense to me.

Mizuki: Yeah! It was Daisy-kun's room!

Mizuki: So why wouldn't Daisy-kun be there?

Minagami: Nori and I were the only ones cohabitating, I believe.

Rukiro: Correct.

Yanagi: There must be another possibility, then?

Nishimura: Maybe, uh, _Gendou-kun was afraid of blood_?

Nishimura: I mean, um, that would make it hard to kill... someone.

Iyakami: It's also near impossible to prove.

Keina: Maybe it has to do with the murder weapon?

Ajiyama: But that's definitely the broken brush.

Keina: That's not what I-

Mizuki: Oh! Then _it actually was Daisy-kun_?

Mizuki: Mizuki-kun means, since we can't prove that wrong, it must be right!

Ajiyama: Well you're quick to quit.

Mizuki: Hmph!

Honrei: _I'm still sure Gendou couldn't have done it, and I think I have an idea as to why._

\--- **Scratched Nameplates** \-- > "It was Daisy-kun's room!"

Honrei: No! That's wrong!

<END>

"Hmm, Squirrel-chan, are you sure?" Mizuki asked. "What does a scratched nameplate have to do with this? Isn't that just part of the environment?"

"Hand on with me here." I said. "The nameplates are only part of my theory."

"Then explain yourself, maybe?" Maede demanded.

"I was planning on it." I replied. "See, about the scratched nameplates, there were two of them, and they were both loose. So I was thinking, what if they had been swapped?"

"A shocking development!" Komori exclaimed.

"Could you spare a moment to tell us why you think they were swapped?" Ryouta asked.

"Sure." I said. "See, I barely touched either of them before they fell off. The screws were loose, and I never had that problem with any other nameplates. Also, there were a lot of scratches on the metal surface, so I think it was definitely an improvised too."

"Someone like Sunagawa was sure to have at least a few screwdrivers to fix his skateboards." Ajiyama said. "But the culprit must not have thought of that! Their fatal mistake."

"Killer-chan didn't think of a lot of things!" Mizuki said. "Not until afterwards!"

"H-how do you get that idea?" Nishimura asked.

"No, well, it makes sense." I said.

<Select Evidence>

"Messy Room"

"That's it!"

"So what?" Tomiko said. "It doesn't have to be an unplanned crime to have a struggle."

"But there's something else." I said.

<Select Evidence>

"Empty Rooms"

"That's it!"

<END>

"Squirrel-chan's got it!" Mizuki exclaimed. "Explain it, yeah?"

"Okay, well, like Tomiko-san said." I started. "The messy room only means there was a struggle, however, it's kind of incriminating, too. See, it's actually _because_ of the cleaned out rooms that we know the person living next to Sunagawa did it."

"Sorry, I'm not following." Keina said.

"Don't worry, I'm not done yet." I replied. "If the room next to Sunagawa's wasn't empty, it'd be pretty obvious the only other person out in the halls, I, had done it, and before you accuse me, I wouldn't have had the access to the room to clean it."

"I'd never suspect you, Honrei-chan!" Ajiyama said.

"Yes, but, think about what the cleaned rooms mean." I said, flashing a smile in thanks to Ajiyama. "Someone did not want their identity known as someone who could assault Sunagawa, to the point where they were willing to frame their own teammate. This would be a difficult feat, so not only would they need to have extra inspiration to not be found out as living there, they'd have to have extra power too. I mean, how else are you going to silence your team from correcting people's views on room assignments. That's why, you're my main suspect!"

<Select Suspect>

\-- Maede Harumi --

"It could only be you!"

<END>

" _Excuse_ me?" Maede said, furious.

"You're excused!" Toshima said, smiling.

"How _dare_ you accuse me!" She continued. "After all I've done to protect y'all!"

"There must have been someone you wanted to protect more though, huh?" Ajiyama said.

"Why are you all so quick to accept this?!" Maede demanded. "I didn't do anything!"

"It just makes sense, though." I said. "Gendou-kun's nameplate and yours were the only ones touched."

"That's what you're basing this on?! Nameplates?" She shouted.

"No, like I said, as Team Leader, you had the power to silence your teammates." I said.

"I'm not the only Team Leader, you know." She said.

"Yes, but you're the only one who imposed that rule." I said. "What were you so afraid of them saying?"

"But, but, oh!" Maede exclaimed, with an air of accomplishment. "What about the murder weapon? I wouldn't have had a paint brush!"

"No, but, hmm..." I trailed off.

"Wait, we were just looking at the evidence wrong." Ajiyama said. "Honrei, think again, what kind of brush was it?"

<Choice>

"Paint Brush"

"Makeup Brush"

"Hair Brush"

\---

**Makeup Brush**

"That's it!"

<END>

"It was a makeup brush!" I said. Maede took on a shocked expression.

"Yeah! This whole time we'd been looking at it as a weird paint brush, but it was actually a makeup brush!" Ajiyama followed.

"What's the difference, exactly?" Toshima asked.

"Material of the brush head and how it's used, mostly." Ajiyama said. "And the same is true for another piece of evidence, too."

<Select Evidence>

"Supply Kit"

"That's it!"

<END>

"The duralumin case in the laundry room with all of those tools and containers of things." I said. "It must be Maede's makeup kit. She cleaned out her room and put it there, thinking no one would bother to look in the Laundry building!"

"But someone did!" Ajiyama snickered.

"What proof do you have that that happened?" Maede demanded. "You still haven't even proven that the rooms were switched."

"Tomiko," I said. "Can I ask another favor?"

"Sure thing!" She said.

"Would you confirm the Spring Team room assignments?"

"Well, uh, no." She said.

"Why not?" Maede asked.

"I can't! It'd be betraying someone's trust in me, not just a rule." She said.

"Um, thank you, Tomiko-san." Gendou said.

"Saria is fine!"

"But, this is important, it's part of a murder case, so, uh, I'll survive it." He said.

"Minori-kun, are you really sure?" Tomiko asked. "I mean, this is a big deal!"

"I'm sure, Saria-chan." Gendou smiled. He angled more to address all of us. "See, my room was next to Tomiko's. Maede-san's was next to Sunagawa-kun's."

"Sorry to be a skeptic." Rukiro said. "However, the word of one person alone cannot be held as truth."

"I'll confirm it!" Tomiko said. "Me and Minori-kun were roomies!"

All the while, there was a chorus of buzzing coming from their eHandbooks.

"Why would it be, then, that your room assignments were not comparable to those of the other teams?" Minagami asked, superfluous as always. "The two boys and the two girls of each team were kept together."

"Well, that's, uh," Gendou stumbled.

"It's not important!" Maede shouted. "It's not important! Okay?!"

"That's a rather strong reaction." Iyakami said.

"It's not IMPORTANT!" Maede screamed, starting to tear up.

"Maede-san," Komori said, reaching a cautious hand in her direction. "What's wrong?"

"I-I'm sorry, Maede-san!" Gendou said, very obviously starting to panic. "I didn't mean to do something bad, I, uh, I-"

"What?!" Maede snapped. "You think forcefully outing someone is the best way to accuse them in a trial?!"

"I didn't, I mean, I wouldn't, I never said _that_!" Gendou stuttered.

"And you thought they wouldn't find out?!" Maede continued. "You thought they wouldn't question why the room assignments were weird?!"

"I- I'm sorry!" Gendou started to cry. "I, I, I-"

"You _what_?!" Maede said. "You disregarded Tomiko's warning that you'd be outing yourself, and I thought you were smarter than her!"

"Hey," Tomiko said, a bit offended, but also concerned.

" _Don't interrupt me!_ " Maede continued shouting. "I'm allowed to be upset! I've been wronged here! Do you know how long I've spent, trying to make sure no one knew? Because I knew, as soon as the public found out I was transgender, I'd get _fucking_ murdered! I mean, I guess I'll just end up dying anyways, since you all are trying to _execute_ me!"

"Is that an admission of guilt?" Iyakami asked.

"No! It's not! I didn't do it! But that's not the point!" Maede _screeched_. "I thought I could trust you, of all people, Gendou-kun, I thought you'd understand my fear of being outed, but _apparently_ , you were just waiting to betray me!"

"I'm sorry, Maede-san." Nishimura whimpered. "And, um, could you speak, uh, maybe a little bit less loud?"

"Okay, okay, one second." Maede took a few seconds to breathe, making the rhythm more even and calming herself. "Ya see, dearie, the reason why the Spring Team's room assignments got all cattywhompus 's 'cause of a clerical error. Monokuma went an' got mine and Gendou-kun's birth assignments confused with our actual genders. 'S no big deal, really, 'cept that Sunagawa was always kind of a slob in the bathroom."

"So you killed him because of a mess in the bathroom?" Ajiyama asked, tilting her head.

"No, no, sweetheart." Maede said. "I didn't kill 'im, I wouldn't 'ave."

"Except you did." Ajiyama countered.

"Except. I didn't." Maede pressed, firmly.

"Then why was your room cleared out?" Yanagi asked.

"Well, I already kept tidy, it wouldn't be that difficult to clean it out and make me look suspicious." Maede said. "But I didn't do it, okay?"

"I still think you did." I said, a bit of a mumble.

"What?" Maede said, gaining a bit of the force back to her voice. "That's ridiculous, honeydew. I didn't kill him."

"You're the most suspicious one out of all of us. I can't let that go unaddressed."

"Well then, I'll just have to spend the time to explain to you why that is not the case." She said.

<Rebuttal Showdown>

Truth Bullets: **Nighttime Rule, Messy Room, Team Leaders Account**

Maede: I'm tellin' ya I didn't kill him.

Maede: I was sleepin' nice an' pretty in my room last night.

Maede: I'm a rather deep sleeper, so I wouldn'ta heard the attack no matter how loud.

Maede: It's rude to strip me of my beauty sleep, right?

Maede: The culprit coulda messed my room up after I left this morning.

Honrei: There was barely enough time for them to do that, I can't believe that as a possibility.

Maede: But you do agree, it was possible?

Maede: Wouldn't it be easy enough for you, angel cake?

Maede: You went through my room in the investigation.

Maede: You and your little sweetheart are the only ones who even claim to have seen both the empty room and the 'supply kit' in the Laundry Building.

Maede: Not to mention, you _were_ the only one outside last night aside from Sunagawa.

Maede: And you've spent all this time accusin' me.

Maede: It's like y'all just wanna make yourselves look guilty.

Honrei: But we've proven I couldn't do it. No matter what you say, you would have heard.

Honrei: I doubt you were already in deep sleep barely after the announcement.

Maede: I toldya, I need my rest, you know.

Maede: But I didn't do it.

Maede: Someone's workin' real hard to frame me an' Gendou-kun.

Maede: But how could a team leader harm her own charge?

Maede: Face it, you're our only possible suspect.

Maede: Someone had to be outside _to change the name plates_

Maede: And you were the only one outside last night.

\--- **Nighttime Rule** \---

Honrei: I'll cut that claim to pieces!

<END>

"You've just doomed your own fate, Maede-san." I said, smirking.

"What do you mean?" She asked, innocence in her voice tainted by fear.

"'Someone had to be outside to change the name plates.'" I repeated. "Nishimura-san, Ryouta-san, would you kindly show us the logs for the rule breaking violations last night. I'll show mine too."

With a few stumbled minutes of tapping around, we were all able to open up the logs, each showing last night's violations. As they had said earlier, there were none for the Fall or Winter Teams, and only myself for the Summer Team.

"Now, Maede-san, if you're innocent." I said. "You shouldn't have your own name down for rule violation."

"Tulip-chan just has to show us to prove her innocence!" Mizuki said.

"And refusing to would make her even more suspicious!" Ajiyama added.

"But I, I didn't do it!" Maede shouted. "I didn't have a motive, ya see? So why would I? That's it! I had no reason to kill!"

"I somehow doubt that." I replied.

<Panic Talk Action>

Maede: Don't be ridiculous!

Maede: I'm innocent, obviously!

Maede: How could ya doubt me?

Maede: Honrei-san did it to frame me!

Maede: There's no real proof I did it!

Maede: I never even left my room last night!

Maede: You don't need my handbook to know that!

Maede: Y'all'dn't've made it this far without me!

Maede: I never killed anyone!

Maede: My video didn't show anyone I actually cared about, so I had no motive to kill!

                us

video!                   the

                Show

"Show us the video!"

Honrei: Your claims are totally suspect!

<END>

"Wh-what? What do you mean?" Maede stammered. "How is that convicting evidence?!"

"Well, you won't prove your innocence by proving you weren't outside last night," I said. "Your defense is that your motive video didn't affect you. So prove it."

"I didn't react!" Maede said. "Ajiyama said so!"

"Well, I didn't say my memory was definite." Ajiyama said. "And some people don't show obvious reactions."

"You can't make me show you!" Maede said.

"But you're just making yourself suspicious." Nishimura said. "Isn't it better to get it over with?"

"I agree completely!" Monokuma spoke up. "Let's just get going, yeah?"

"Wait, you're not calling the vote, are you?" Keina asked, worried.

"No, no, just, turn your attention to the screens, I'm showing a video!" He said, then took a remote out of nowhere and pressed play. There rest of us watched the screen intently.

At first, it kept black for a few moments, then slowly shifted, showing two legs, clad in pink and gold heeled boots, then flashed to an arm, short pink sleeved with a blue cuff, a face, eyes wide with shock, light blue, framed by bright orange hair, then it focused on a gruesome wound in the stomach, blood everywhere, guts threatening to spill out. The scene then zoomed out, showing the entire body leaned up against the wall, knife in hand. It was obviously a corpse.

"Soushin-san." Tomiko gasped.

"Wait." Maede said. "You _know_ who she is?"

"Of course, we went to middle school together." Tomiko said. "We were in band together. She played clarinet, but she would memorize all the parts in case someone got sick."

"So, why was that Maede-san's motive video, and not Tomiko-san's?" Toshima asked.

"That's my sister." Maede said, face fallen. "My identical twin sister. Our parents gave us up, we were adopted by different people. I thought, maybe, at Hope's Peak, I could finally meet her. Please, Tomiko! You have to tell me more about her!"

"Maede-san," Tomiko said softly. "You cared about her..."

"Yes! So?"

"That would mean your motivations were clear, darling." Minagami said.

"You wanted to make sure she was safe, and to do that you had to leave." Komori said.

"So you took the only way out you knew." Nishimura murmured.

"Murder." Ajiyama finished.

"What, did you rehearse this?" Maede laughed, looking distressed.

"Face it, Maede-san." I said. "You killed him, to make sure the video was fake, that your sister was okay."

"It wasn't my fault!" Maede shouted suddenly. "He, everyone, they wouldn't listen to me, they wouldn't follow the rules, he showed up late, and,"

"That's enough." Ajiyama said. "Honrei-chan, you can wrap this up, right?"

"Sure thing." I said, preparing my thoughts.

<Climax Inference>

"Last night, Sunagawa returned to his room late, a fact only he, his Team Leader, and Honrei, who he was with, would know. At this time, the killer was waiting, and upon seeing him arrive, they struck.

"There was a struggle between Sunagawa and the killer, resulting in few wounds, but a large mess around the room. There was a ruckus, but nobody heard it due to the soundproofed dorm rooms.

"The fight ended when the killed snapped a makeup brush in half, using it to stab Sunagawa in the stomach. The wound made him incapable of moving, so he bled out on the bed.

"After realizing their deed, the culprit went to work to fake their innocence. They cleaned out their room and their shared bathroom to remove any trace of them living there, then switched the nameplates on theirs and Gendou's rooms, making it look like he was the one who had the opportunity to kill Sunagawa, however they didn't have suitable tools, so the nameplates remained loose, and a few scratches were left on the surface. They hid all of their personal items in the Laundry Building

"Finally, they returned to their room, using a unique ability, changing team rules, to make it where no one could speak against them in the inevitable trial.

"All of this, there's only one possibility.

"Maede Harumi... It can only be you!"

<END>

Maede seemed to be having a breakdown, tearing up and chewing her fingers around her nail beds.

"Maede-san," Gendou mumbled. "Is it true?"

"What do you think?" She snapped.

"Well then, I think we're ready to vote!" Monokuma announced. "Please use the boards in front of you to decide!"

As each person input their vote, the trial stands slowed down their spinning, making me realize how dizzy I really was. I carefully selected Maede, and then waited for my head to calm down.

Once the final vote was cast, everything slowed to a stop, with Maede directly in front of monokuma. I gripped the trial stand once again, to keep my balance.

The projector screens hanging high up on the walls switched on, one by one, showing something like a slot machine. The lever was pulled, and as it spun, I saw all of our faces on the three disks. Just like the trial room itself, the spinning came to a stop, landing on Maede. Confetti rained down from the ceiling.

"Congratulations!" Monokuma exclaimed.

"Wh-what is this?" Yanagi asked.

"It's a celebration! You all won the trial! Sadly, that means dear old Maede-san lost, but majority rules, you know, so I'm celebrating the rest of you instead of mourning her!"

"What a cruel joke." Keina spat.

"Yeah, yeah, be upset, whatever." Monokuma sighed. "Go ahead and interrogate your culprit while I make sure the punishment is ready." he didn't bother to move away, but he did stop talking.

"M-maede-san?" Gendou pleaded. "S-so, it's true, you killed him? Wh-why?"

"I'm not sure you would understand." Maede said, with a poor attempt at her usual confidence, carried by a shaky voice. "I mean, it's hard to explain to someone not in the loop."

"Will you be able to keep quiet, though?" Ajiyama asked. "Are you willing to die with unfinished business?"

Maede didn't answer, only stared at the ground by her feet.

"There had to be a reason why." Ajiyama continued. "Even if you were annoyed with Sunagawa for rule breaking, I can't believe that would be enough for you to kill over. Even with your video, we don't know for sure _your_ reason why. Logically, you had to be on edge before hand, please tell us why."

It took a few seconds after Ajiyama had stopped for Maede to actually start speaking.

"Well, it's not because I was on my fucking period, if that's what you're asking."

"Please be honest, Maede-san," Tomiko said.

"It was because of my sister. Isn't that obvious enough?" Maede said. "I mean, shortly after we were born, we were separated. Me to my moms, and her to her dads. They... didn't keep in touch well."

"Gee, Maede-san, how come your mom let you have three moms?" Komori asked, snickering.

"Stop it." Maede said, firm. "She meant a lot to me, okay? I was so excited to find out we would be at Hope's Peak together, and then this happened."

"Soushin Ritsu, Super High School Level Marching Band Member." Tomiko said. "I knew her, Maede-san, she was super cool! I'm sure she'll be fine."

"She's dead." Maede snapped, somber. "You say my video, covered in blood, stabbed like that, I know it. She was murdered, in a game just like this one!"

"Well then, I think I'm all cleaned up." Monokuma said suddenly. "Then, are we ready for my miraculous punishment?"

"Wait, no, please, no!" Maede shouted.

"I've prepared a very special execution for Maede Harumi, Super High School Level Makeup Artist."

"I'm not ready to die! Please, let me at least see her again!"

"Let's give it all we've got!"

"No! Please, no!"

"It's punishment time!"

Monokuma slammed a small gavel onto a red button, causing a pixilated animation to play on the screen of him dragging Maede off, followed by a metal collar on a chain pulling Maede out of the courtroom.

After she was out of the room, we saw her again on screen.

~

"Anaphylaxis Is Super Unattractive"

Maede sat in a chair on screen, one of those fancy ones with a foot rest and a lever to lift it up and lower it in behind. Her wrists were bound to the arm rests, and her feet to the lower part of the chair, so she couldn't move from the seat at all. She looked terrified, teeth grit and face pale.

In front of the chair was a strange machine, with a bunch of nozzles and applicators, all on tiny robotic arms, moving around in a strange way, almost insect-like. Slowly they extended, extra jointed segments emerging out of the source machine.

Maede tugged against the restrictions of the chair, trying to evade the intimidating feelers. Less than a few inches from her face, a flash of light went off, coming apparently from the top portion of the front of the machine, blinding her for only a moment. Out the back of the contraption slid a photo, of her squinting face.

While she was still recoiling, the arms of the machine closed in to attack, and suddenly, within a few seconds, managed to cover her face in a garish amount of makeup. She looked more like a clown than anything else at that exact moment, with alabaster foundation and perfectly circular splotches of ruby red on either cheek, countered only by the nearly cerulean semicircles over her eyes. The camera flashed again, printing out a new picture.

Maede's face began to swell.

On and on the camera flashed, as Maede's face puffed, first around the fatty parts of her cheeks, and eventually the entire thing. Her lips were pursed open as she gasped for breath and let the skin of her eyes swell her expression into a permanent squint. If it wasn't for the white foundation caked on her face, it would surely be showing blue from lack of oxygen.

The camera we all watched from switched views, cropping out Maede's face, (an act of benevolence on Monokuma's part, no doubt), but still showing every flash of light, and all of Maede's struggling movements as she writhed for breath.

All at once, her movements stopped.

Maede Harumi, had suffocated to death.

~

"..."

For a few seconds, everyone was quiet.

"That-" Tomiko shouted suddenly. "That's horrible! Using her allergy like that to kill her!"

"Well, she killed someone else, right?" Monokuma asked. "This is just payback! You should be glad you don't have to get your own hands dirty for the sake of justice."

"You're _horrible_!" Tomiko shouted again. "Why are you doing this?!"

"...Anyways," monokuma said. "Some of you may be wondering, what happens now? The Spring Team Leader died, how will they survive without any authority?"

"I-I don't think anyone's wondering that." Gendou said.

"Maybe not you but the audience sure is!" Monokuma chuckled. "Well then, it's time to pass the torch! Tomiko Saria, accept your duty as the new Team Leader!"

"Do I even have a choice?" She spat.

"Nope! Well then, I'm done here." Monokuma said. "Get outta my court room, yeah? The elevator still works."

Without much choice in the matter, we all shuffled back to where we had come from, all except one.

Another, however, looked much more cheery than the rest of us.

"M-minagami-san," Nishimura mumbled. "Why do you look so, um,... satisfied?"

"Hm?" Minagami pekred in her direction. "Well, he deserved it, did he not? I am delighted to be assured that justice has been served."

"He? You mean Sunagawa-kun?" Komori asked. "What did he ever do wrong? Aside from his fashion sense."

"No, you imbecile." Minagami snapped. "I mean Maede. _He_ killed someone, and so _his_ threat has been eliminated. The peace of society has been preserved."

I, however, felt more unsafe than ever before.

I quickly and quietly headed back to my room as soon as I was free from the confined of the elevator, and did not leave for the entire rest of the day, not even to eat.

<Chapter 1: Good Children Don't Play With Knives END>

14 Students remain.

You received item: Golden Hair Tie.

 


	9. Chapter Two: Paint the Town Pink: Daily Life- Part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been. Forever. Since I posted a new chapter. No excuses just facts here. Hopefully after such a long unplanned hiatus I'll be able to scrounge up enough motivation to continue writing for a while. We'll see how that goes. At the very least I have the next four chapters after this one written, and I think I'll post them every two weeks in hopes that's enough to write what comes after that. As always, thanks for reading, and feel free to yell at me in the comments once you're done.

After the trial I gifted myself with an extra-long nap, followed directly by sleeping for the night. In all those hours, I didn't remember myself having a single dream, but Ajiyama was quick to remind me, as we brushed our teeth in tandem, that just because I didn't remember any dreams didn't mean they hadn't happened. She went on for a bit about the implications that had on other theories of the mind, and I listened absentmindedly as I walked her to breakfast.

As I walked into the kitchen, bracing myself for the sound of the door, I noticed something I hadn't even imagined before; Gendou was smiling. That was, not only did he actually seem happy for once, but his face mask was pulled down around his neck so I could see his face. The shock caused me to forget the door, and I was hit full force by the sound it made. I cringed.

Next to Gendou, helping him cook, was Tomiko. She looked delighted to be able to help, without someone else ordering her around.

It was strange, I thought, for there to be so many reasons to be happy just after two people had died. I found myself with a mix of emotions, none of which I knew how to handle.

"Good morning, Honrei-san!" Gendou beamed in my direction. I nodded with what I was sure was an awkward smile. Gendou approached with small footsteps, then bent in half, bowing in front of me, straightening up right after. "Thanks so much for clearing my name yesterday. I wouldn't be here without you!"

"Yeah, none of us would be." Ajiyama bounced up behind me and slung her arm around my shoulder. "You're a hero, Honrei-chan!"

Despite what they all said, I couldn't make myself feel good over sending a girl to her death.

I couldn't let myself think that way. It would bring everyone down. I cobbled together a smile and turned to Tomiko.

"So, what are you cooking for breakfast?" I asked.

"Oh, me?" Tomiko gasped. "No, I'm not really doing anything. I'm just helping Gendou."

"It's fried potato slices and grilled prosciutto!" He said. "There's also some toast, and I can fry up eggs or things if people ask for them"

I wondered to myself if Gendou would be offended by me only taking the toast and potatoes. Prosciutto was always too salty, and exactly like fancy bacon, if I remembered it correctly. Eggs eaten first thing in the morning always made me nauseous.

I heard the door buffet behind me, and jumped out of the way for whoever came in.

"Ryouta-kun!" Tomiko shouted, leaping forward to tackle him. Ryouta side-stepped, letting her stumble, nearly falling to the ground.

"Don't touch me." He said, barely above a mumble.

"Wow, when did you two become such great friends?" Ajiyama giggled.

"We're not." Ryouta said.

"Yeah, I guess you can't just get along on virtue of having stereotypical given names for surnames." Tomiko said. "Shame, I thought that meant we had a lot in common."

"All we have in common is the people who named us being idiots." Ryouta crossed his arms. "Gendou-kun, you know why I'm here."

"Yeah! One sec." Gendou nodded, and scurried off to the stove, back quickly with a dish, only potatoes and toast on it. My mouth watered. "Here you go, Ryouta-kun. Vegan dish. I set it aside before I even started on the meat."

"Thank you." Ryouta nodded, and took the plate from Gendou, quickly leaving again. Very soon after the door finished closing, I heard a different, unfamiliar sound. I turned around to face the source and saw the shutter next to the door opening. Ryouta was on the other side.

"Oh! I forgot that existed! You're a genius, Ryouta-kun!" Tomiko exclaimed. Ryouta gave a curt nod and pulled up a stool from the many chairs and tables stored in the small dining room so that he could sit down and eat.

"Hey, Gendou-kun," Ajiyama said. "Is there any way we can get one of those simpler plates for Honrei-chan?"

"Wait I-" I was cut off quickly by Gendou's reply.

"Sure thing, do you not ear meat, either, Honrei-san?" Gendou asked.

"Well, um," I sighed, relenting. "I can eat mean just fine, I just don't like to, because I can't really handle the stronger flavors well."

"Knew it." Ajiyama mumbled.

"Well, alright then!" Gendou nodded. "I'll start making two vegan plates whenever I cook, then. Today, can you deal with picking the meat out? I already added it in."

"Yeah, I can do that." I said, blushing a bit in embarrassment that I had been found out. Before an actual conversation could be started about it, I fled the room, and started setting up tables like I was too busy to be talked to.

I ignored the circular tables everyone had favored before now, instead taking out a few rectangular ones and lining them up. It was easier to fit more people in a small area with these, so it made more sense to me. I was able to fit 10 seats around two consecutive tables, and I set up a few stools at the counter next to Ryouta, to make up for the difference.

About the same time I finished, Ajiyama came out of the kitchen carrying two dishes. She set them down at seats next to each other, and pulled out two chairs, only sitting in one of them.

"It's for you, silly." She said, smiling.

"Oh," I said, quietly, and sat down. "Um, Ajiyama-chan, how did you find out?"

"About what?" Her mouth was already stuffed, so her voice was muffled.

"Well, you know..." I trailed off a bit, hoping she could pick it up.

"Oh, that!" She covered her mouth as she spoke so food wouldn't fly in my face. "Well, you were always picking at your food when you ate it, and what really sold it was how jealous you looked of Ryouta's food. I know you'd be too shy to ask, so I did it for you."

"Thanks," I mumbled. Before I could say anything more, the door from the hallway opened, interrupting any semblance of a private conversation we had.

"Ah, I suppose you all are _not_ incompetent." Minagami twirled her hair as she strolled in through the door, which Rukiro held open. "It is easy to assume when one finds the regular dining area empty that all others have failed to set up ahead of time, but it appears there was an unscheduled change in location."

"Well, I just thought, that with two less people, if we didn't divide the teams up we could actually fit in the dining hall." I struggled to explain myself, but her gaze was intimidating.

"I was not complaining." She said, with the same disdainful tone. "Is the Spring Team cooking today? They are the only one with no party already eating, and it would be rude of any of you three to abandon your teammates over a hot stove."

"Yeah, Gendou-kun is cooking and Tomiko-chan is helping him." Ajiyama said. I admired how easily she dealt with Minagami.

"Where is she then?" Minagami said. Rukiro pulled out a chair and she sat down without looking, like a practiced movement. "I expect to be served by nothing less than the chef herself."

"But, I just said Gendou-kun was cooking." Ajiyama said, with a worried expression. "Not Tomiko-chan."

"Exactly. I see no fault in my statement." Minagami said, glaring across the table at Ajiyama.

At that moment, the worst possible time, Gendou came out of the kitchen, arms loaded with plates of food.

"Ah, there she is." I knew it would happen eventually." Minagami sighed dramatically as Gendou stopped in his tracks.

"Gendou-kun is a _boy_ , Minagami." Ajiyama said, with a bit of forced, and losing any polite tone she may have had before."

"Don't be ridiculous." Minagami laughed, her expression turning severe. "In the trial, didn't you hear, she's a _girl_. That's why she shares a bathroom with Tomiko-san, is it not?"

Gendou quivered, arms shaking. I jumped up to set down all the plates before they might slip and crash to the floor.

"Sachi-sama-" Rukiro started.

"What?" Minagami snapped, but she kept her tone eerily even. "Are you going to join them in the ranks of imbeciles with made up sexes and denials of the truth?"

"N-no," Rukiro quieted.

"Then let us eat the merely satisfactory food _she_ has prepared, and we can leave posthaste." Minagami said. Rukiro nodded, taking two dishes for the both of them and sitting down next to Minagami.

I left as soon as I could to not be too obvious, and ushered Gendou to the kitchen, dropping off my barely-eaten-from dirty dishes there. I had lost my appetite. Gendou was still very quiet, and unresponsive, so I let Tomiko come to his side as I exited back through to the dining room.

I brushed straight through, right past Minagami, and towards the door. I managed to open it and step through before I was stopped by one angry, short bear.

"Hey hey hey!" He growled. "How am I supposed to wait for you all to show up if you up and decide to leave? Nope nope nope! Back in with you! And pass on the message that no one is allowed to leave until all _fourteen_ of you are gathered there."

I was physically pushed back through the door, and I stumbled, nearly falling backwards.

"Oh, so you decided we were just too interesting for you to leave?" Minagami chortled.

"No, I, monokuma, he,"

"No matter, Nori, we're leaving." She stood abruptly, and headed to the door. I considered stopping here, but decided she deserved the back lash from monokuma.

Before Rukiro could even approach the door, Minagami fell flat on the floor, pushed by monokuma.

"Wow! A bit hasty, yeah?" Monokuma said. "I said it already! No leaving!"

"You didn't say that," Minagami protested.

"Yeah, I did, and you'd know if you actually listened to Honrei!" Monokuma shouted, spraying saliva in Minagami's face. "You just can't find good messengers these days."

With that he left again, as Rukiro helped Minagami off the ground. She gave me a glance, then returned to her seat. Ajiyama smiled, kind of reassuring at me, and pulled the chair I had abandoned back out for me. I walked briskly around the table to take it.

As the room slowly filled, we explained the situation to any newcomers. Some of them, presumably in nervousness, were pickier about their food than usual. Even Komori didn't seem very enthusiastic to eat.

When the final person, Toshima, walked in, we heard the door's lock click, right as Monokuma dropped down on top of the table.

"Alright then! That wasn't too hard, was it?" He said, stepping in Nishimura's food as he stood up, then shaking it off his foot in a way that nearly all of it hit her face. "Really, aren't murder game victims all about togetherness? I shouldn't have to call an entire meeting just to give you a bit of good news!"

"And what kind of 'good news' would _you_ bring us?" Yanagi snipped.

"Hey! Relax! It's _way_ too early for a motive! You all just woke up!" Monokuma laughed. "No worries, I just want to tell you about the new stuff you unlocked. You all look pretty tired, like you're barely out of your pajamas! So, I'll be a bit more blunt. Passing the trial unscathed earned you all a sweet reward! If you go outside, walk around a little, you might notice some new buildings! Which means, I'm gonna take this opportunity to remind you, no walking off the paths! Taking shortcuts is _illegal_."

"Don't you just show up wherever you want?" Toshima asked. "Isn't that a shortcut?"

"Shut!!!" Monokuma shouted. "The point is, I'd be very sad if my efforts went unappreciated, so you all better go and look! That's an order! I'll be watching!"

Monokuma left, leaving us to all stare at each other. With no one like Maede to tell us all what to do, we were a bit lost.

"Well then," Minagami spoke first. "Now that we aren't being kept here, but _encouraged_ to leave, I'm afraid Nori and I will just have to listen to the bear. Ta-ta."

She marched out of the room, taking Rukiro with her. There were a few more moments of silence.

"I think, um, that is, if people want to listen." Keina said. "We could all split up and look for the new places monokuma talked about. And, then we can search wherever we find for something important, like a hint to get out." In the silence that followed, her face fell to be a bit more nervous.

"That's a right jolly idea." Komori declared, as soon as she swallowed a lump of food. "Let's go, then, there's a lot of stuff to explore!"

"Or, it could be something small, and insignificant." Gendou mumbled.

"Either way, we don't want to make monokuma angry." Ajiyama said. "Let's go, then!"

"Yeah," I nodded. "And we can meet back up at lunch to share whatever we find." Within the next few seconds, everyone came to agree somehow, and a lot of them finished their food, dropped it off in the kitchen, and left. Ajiyama and I hung behind, even after Gendou left, having set the dishes to soak.

"So, shall we go?" She said, half a giggle.

"Yeah, let's." I said. She grabbed my hand and led the way out of the room, only stopping once we reached the outside of the Dorm House.

"To the left or right, Honrei-chan?" She asked.

"Oh, um, right, I guess." I said. "It'll loop back around anyways, right?"

"Yup, but we have to start somewhere." She said. "To the right we go."

Still holding onto my hand, she started in that direction, pulling me along. I was ready to go past the large door entirely, but we barely got far at all before my heart stopped.

"Komori!" Ajiyama shouted. "Holy hell!"

Before my eyes was a large open area, filled with all sorts of ramps and dips made out of concrete. On a shack to the side there was a sign. It read: "Nezumi City's Totally Radical Skate Park." In the middle of everything stood Komori, wearing all sorts of protective gear, and having just finished a jump on a bright pink skateboard. Toshima was flushed, looking like he had been running to follow her around, and heaving, bent over. Ryouta was near the shack.

"Pretty cool, right?" Komori grinned over at us. "There's a few more sets of supplies in that shack, if you want to join me!"

"Please... don't." Toshima breathed. "It's hard enough to make sure Komori-san stays safe. None of us are professionals. We really shouldn't try anything like this."

"Come on, I bet you'd be great on a set of rollerblades." Komori said. "You're more suited to this than anyone."

"Almost anyone." Ryouta mumbled, loud enough for all of us to hear. It was obvious what he meant.

"Sunagawa-kun," I murmured. Everyone stood silent for a few moments in respect. Komori set her skateboard down, and it rolled to the bottom of a ditch.

"Maybe, Toshima-kun is right." Komori said, voice melancholy. "We probably shouldn't mess around here."

"Yeah," I agreed. Everyone else was looking away with sad, thoughtful expressions.

"Well," Ajiyama broke the mood. "We should probably get to looking around here."

"Yeah," I said again. I stepped off to the side as Ajiyama went forward to look around. Though the Skate Park was rather wide open, there were a few places to look. I decided to join Ryouta in the shack.

"Hey," He greeted. I nodded in reply.

"Have you found anything?" I asked.

"Not really, it's just all skating supplies." He said. "Rollerblades and skates, knee pads, helmets, sneakers, Komori-san took one of the skateboards."

"Everything's really brightly colored." I commented.

"Yes." He agreed.

We both stood there a few moments longer.

"Alright, well, thank you." I said. He nodded in return, and I stepped away from the shack.

I went over to Toshima next, who was crouched close to the ground. I tapped him on the shoulder to gain his attention.

"Uwaaa~!" He wailed. "Honrei-san! You shouldn't sneak up on people like that!"

"I didn't mean to sneak." I said. "Just to get your attention."

"Well you've got it now." He shuddered. "Super High School Level Freak-Ass Ninja, that's what you are."

"..."

"Anyways, what did you need?" He asked.

"I just wanted to hear if you had found anything." I said.

"Well, uh, not much." He replied. "Was too busy chasing Komori-chan around, you know? At least, uh, the ground is sturdy."

"What were you looking at on the ground?" I peeked around him to see the spot he was looking at. To me, at least, it looked empty.

"Oh, I just saw a sparkle on the ground. I thought it might be something, but it was just part of the concrete. Sorry to disappoint."

"No, it's not a disappointment." I said. "You've done well."

"Even if I've done nothing at all?" He asked, laughing. "Thanks, Honrei-san."

"At least you can't have done anything bad, then." I smiled.

"That sure is one way of looking at it." He chuckled. "Well, aside from that sparkle, I really haven't found anything."

"Thank you anyways."

"Yeah, sure." He nodded, and scratched the back of his head. I nodded back, and walked away.

I went over to Komori, next, who had been spending a few minutes trying to make it to the bottom of the ditch her skateboard had rolled to, which was a much more difficult task in the heels she was wearing. It didn't make much sense, since she was skating in the very same shoes earlier, but I let it go.

"Komori-san, do you need any help?" I asked.

"No, I've got it, just wish I had more practical shoes like yours." She said, finally reaching the bottom, and picking up the skateboard. She looked excited for a few seconds, then realized she had to make it back up. I skidded to the bottom so we could continue the conversation without struggle. "Gosh, Honrei-san, you're willing to ruin the soles of your shoes for little old me?" She feigned a blush.

"I mean, yeah, sure." I responded. She pouted momentarily. "Have you found anything?"

"Only that it's really easy to impress people with my _rad moves_." She grinned, and her teeth sparkled. "That acrobatic experience really comes in handy!"

"Acrobatic experience?" I asked.

"I'll tell you another time." She said. "Anyways, there's really nothing around here, except for the things in that supply shack. I guess I chose the wrong place to inspect."

"Thanks for being so thorough." I smiled.

"Sure thing!"

Deciding that, since my investigation was complete, we could leave now, I approached Ajiyama, who was deep in thought.

"Hmmm," she mumbled.

"Ajiyama-chan?"

"Oh! She jumped a little. "Sorry I was thinking."

"What about?"

"Well, this place." She paused and looked me straight in the eyes. "Do you think monokuma did this on purpose?"

"You mean, how it's a skate park?" I asked.

"Exactly." She nodded. "It's unnatural for him to let us mourn naturally, so I think he put this structure up to remind us of Sunagawa-kun."

I didn't respond, really.

"Anyways, let's get going." She continued. "No use dwelling on it when that's exactly what he wants us to do."

"Yeah, let's move on." I agreed.

I waved goodbye to the three in the Skate Park as we got back on the path and continued down it, we passed by the large door without incident, but about the same time we reached the meeting hall, I saw something else new.

"Whoa!" Ajiyama gasped. "It's so pretty! Honrei-chan look!"

I _was_ looking, at a large, wide, imposing structure, with a bit of old style western architecture that suited the atmosphere of the meeting hall well. Despite being so big, the building only had one entrance, at the front, and above the beautiful set of double doors was a sign. It read simply, "LIBRARY".

"Honrei-chan! We have to go inside!" Ajiyama said, excitedly. "I bet it's full of books and information and pretty shelving and it might even have some information about our situation!"

Taking that as an invitation, I walked forward and pushed the Library door open as Ajiyama followed.

As soon as I stepped in I wanted to leave again.

"Oh look, another visitor." Minagami tittered. Rukiro was by her side. "Now what are _you_ here for? Comeuppance?"

"We're leaving." Ajiyama said, only loud enough for me to hear. I responded in the same tone.

"No, we probably should still look around, we can just ignore them, okay?"

"And what are you whispering?" Iyakami said, popping up at our side out of nowhere and causing me to jump. Minagami laughed vocally at my misfortune. "It's against common morals to keep secrets."

"It's against my morals to invade people's privacy!" Ajiyama said, then kneed Iyakami in the gut. He doubled over in pain.

"What are you doing!?" Minagami shouted, changing her demeanor entirely. I couldn't help but agree that the violence seemed a bit unnecessary.

"He deserved it." Ajiyama pouted. Iyakami crawled to a nearby chair to sit down.

"... Let's just look around." I said. Ajiyama nodded.

The library was just as large inside as out, and filled with rows and rows of shelves, lined with books. The ceiling in the middle was open to a second level, with a grand staircase and a chandelier shining down through. All considered, it was rather awe inspiring. Among the books were a few seating areas with comfortable looking couches and coffee tables. There were also taller tables for studying, with less comfortable looking wooden chairs. One of those was where Iyakami sat. I went over to him first.

"Hey, Iyakami-san, are you okay?" I asked.

"I'm fine." He groaned. "It's selfish to consider one's own injury over the progress of a group, so I will be able to act again after a short recovery. It more knocked the wind out of me than anything else." His voice dropped a bit quieter, to a mumble. "I'm just glad she didn't aim any lower."

"I hope you regain your strength soon, then." I said, then after a few seconds, "Did you find anything before we arrived?"

"Oh, I found something very interesting." Iyakami grinned. "But your little blonde friend should see it too, talk to me on your way out."

I nodded, and headed away from Iyakami. On the other side of the bottom floor was Minagami, in one of the lounge seats, with her legs daintily crossed at the ankles and hands folded in her lap. She noticed me walking up and started speaking.

"Hello, Honrei-san." She said. "I assume you wish to pursue the results of my investigation?"

"Yes, if you found anything besides books." I laughed. She turned somber and severe.

"But books can be extremely relevant." She said. "You never know what you might find _inside_ one. It could be extremely interesting."

"So, did you find something interesting?" I asked.

"No." She sighed. "I sent Nori off to continue the search while I rested. I thought there might be a directory somewhere, but alas, we are lacking in that department."

"How are we supposed to find anything then?" I said, somewhat to myself. Even for light reading it was useful to have a directory.

"You'll find that the design of the building is not too complex, even for a simple mind." She said. "The shelving is divided into sectors, by genre, and within genres, it is alphabetical by the author's name. It is then alphabetical by book title. At least this is what I gathered from a cursory investigation. You should also know, the bottom floor is nonfiction, and upstairs is fiction."

"That's actually a lot of information." I said, with possibly a bit too impressed of a tone.

"Of course, I would never fail my people." Minagami said. "Especially when it comes to organization. Try not to move anything out of place, would you?"

"Yeah," I nodded, momentarily forgetting how awful it felt to agree with Minagami. I fell silent after realizing I had nothing else to say.

"Well, what are you standing around for?" She snapped. "If you're not busy, go and check on Nori for me. He should be on the second floor."

"Alright." I said, since I planned to head there next anyways.

Walking up the large, grand, and elegant stairway felt intimidating, like it was a very important trip up the stairs. They were just like any other stairs, though, aside from appearance, and I reached the top soon enough. It was brighter up here, and more colorful. In one corner, away from the stairs, there were smaller plush chairs, and bean bags, surrounding a wooden train set on a coffee table. Ajiyama was playing with the trains, but as soon as she noticed me, she stood up straight, and pretended like she was very interested in a blank spot on the wall. Rukiro was on the other side of the room, looking through the teen romance section. I went to him first.

"Hi, Rukiro-san," I said, at a soft speaking voice as I approached, in hopes I wouldn't scare him. "Find any good books?"

"No." He said. "They are all stock plot lines, like Nikola Sparks and John Green, nothing profound or interesting."

"Didn't John Green have that one book that got really popular about two sick kids?" I asked. "I thought that was kind of inventive."

"The popularity ruined it." He said. "It was a fine book, but then people started wishing to acquire a deadly disease as a last resort to find love."

"Oh, yeah, that's kind of bad." I said. He nodded.

"It's very hard to find a good book nowadays." He continued. "Anything remotely interesting gets overhyped and overshadows any undiscovered beauties."

"Do you like reading, Rukiro-san?"

"I do." He sighed, reminiscent. "Oftentimes Sachi would regale me with the tales from her collection as I stood guard. It made for a good pass time."

"You don't read them yourself?"

"I _can_ read." He said quickly. "I just, prefer not to. It's difficult for me."

"Maybe you should try glasses!" I said. "I had to strain my eyes a lot before I got these."

"My vision is perfectly fine!" He snapped. "If you plan to ask about my investigation, I haven't found anything of importance. Otherwise, please leave."

I wasn't sure what caused the sudden change in Rukiro's demeanor, but I stepped away nonetheless, and went over to Ajiyama by the train table. She perked up on my approach.

"Are you ready to go?" She asked.

"You've seen enough books?" I countered.

"For now, at least! I can always come back later." She smiled. "I haven't found anything important, either. It's kind of a disappointment, but at least we can move on, right?"

"Actually." I said. "Iyakami-san had something to show us and he wouldn't do it without you there as well."

"Then let's head downstairs." Ajiyama said, sounding a little disappointed.

I somehow resisted the urge to slide down the banister as we went downstairs. Iyakami was still waiting where I left him last.

"Oh, you actually came." He said, lifting his nose up from the book in his hands. "I'm surprised you convinced her, Honrei-san."

"Nothing will stop me in the pursuit of knowledge!" Ajiyama proclaimed, still in a library-like whisper tone. "Not even the most assholish of jackasses!"

"I'll ignore your comment." Iyakami said. "Think of it as an act of forgiveness."

"Can you just show us what you found?" I asked. "I don't want a fight to start."

"Right." Iyakami said, and then he gestured to a file on the table. "It's right here. It was left out in plain sight right in this very spot, so I figure it must be something monokuma wanted us to find."

"Then how do we know it's real?" Ajiyama asked.

"We don't." Iyakami said. "But it's interesting nonetheless. Take a look."

I took a few steps closer to the table, and with a feeling like a heavy weight on my shoulders, I opened the file sitting there. It was filled with papers, pristine and white with edges clean enough to nearly ensure a paper cut if rubbed the wrong way. Everything was stacked neatly, with a cover sheet on top, that stopped me in my tracks when I read it.

"Criminal Cases Involving Hope's peak Students"

"Iyakami-san, what is this?" I asked.

"Exactly what it says." He replied. "I paged through it a bit earlier, it has a lot of information about serial killers, like Genocider Syo, and Kira Kira, and has some mundane crimes, like the petty theft of one student, or another's motorbike gang, and after all of that, there's a section on criminal cult activity."

"Cult?" Ajiyama asked. "There aren't any Hope's Peak students in any of those, right?"

"You'd be surprised." Iyakami gave a sickly grin. "Anyways, I've read through all of it, take it with you if you want. You're responsible enough to not lose it."

"I'll do my best!" I nodded. Ajiyama tugged on my sleeve.

"We can leave now, right?" She asked.

"Yeah, I think so." I said. "See ya later, Iyakami."

"Treat your time well." He said.

I picked up the folder full of priceless information and tucked it under my arm, then pushed my way out of the front door of the Library; out on to the street. Ajiyama followed.

 


	10. Chapter Two: Paint the Town Pink: Daily Life- Part Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uwu

Once we had both excited the library, Ajiyama and I paused by the doors. I waited a moment, trying to decide where to go next, when Ajiyama spoke up first.

"Continuing right, then?" She asked.

"Right." I said. "I mean, as in correct." Ajiyama giggled, then started off in the same direction we had been going; counter-clockwise around the circular path. At least, that was how I thought it was shaped.

"Honrei-chan!" Ajiyama exclaimed. "The path forks ahead!"

"I see that." I responded. "The right fork would be the regular path we're used to seeing, right?"

"Yeah, I think so." Ajiyama said, stepping closer to investigate it. "See, it continues the curve, but the new path goes straight."

"We should take the new path, then." I said. "It's more likely to hold new information."

"I agree!" She nodded, skipping forward. I followed her, and I was a bit nervous about this unknown location. Somewhere like the Skatepark or Library, still on the path I already knew, was somehow easier than this.

There wasn't anything on the straight path, until it ended, splitting into two directions, both of which were curved.

"I think, these two paths will meet again." She said. "Like, another circle. It makes sense, because then there would be an outer circle and an inner circle."

"So, then it won't matter which way we turn here either?" I asked.

"Nope, probably not." She said. "Even if I'm wrong, we can just turn around again and go the other way."

"Then let's go left this time." I said. "Why not be different?"

"It's an arbitrary decision anyways." She said. "Let's go." Ajiyama turned to the left and continued down the path, her gait as cheery as always.

From the way the path continued to curve, I felt Ajiyama was right about it being a circle, and with that in mind, before we had even gone half a circle, we saw a new building. It had flashing neon signs, some with words in English like "OPEN" or "Bud Lite" that I didn't really understand, and some with just cool pictures like martini glasses or a woman kicking her leg in the air, animated so it went on continuously. The biggest sign read clearly "BAR" in all caps.

"Why is this here?" Ajiyama wondered out loud. "We're all underage, there shouldn't be alcohol here. Who's going to drink it?!"

"Monokuma, maybe?" I joked, not wanting to tell her not everyone would follow laws like that, especially in this situation. I went forward to open the door and a quiet jazz tune drifted out from a jukebox I quickly spotted in the corner. I stepped inside. In every way, it just felt like a regular restaurant. The one difference that I would note was the counter at one side of the room with a few taps and colorful lit up shelves filled with bottles of all shapes and sizes. There were tables all around the room, and Nishimura sat at one of them. The lighting made it feel much later than it actually was, and a set of pendant lights drew my eyes back to the bar, where Yanagi sat.

"Oh!" Ajiyama gasped. "I'm gonna check out the jukebox!"

She ran off immediately after declaring so, and I left her to it. I had plenty else to do. I started by going over to Nishimura and taking a seat at the same table. The chair was rather comfortable, I noted.

"Hello, Nishimura-san." I said.

"Oh, hello Honrei-san." She replied. She sipped from a mug which she held between both of her hands. "How are you today?"

"I'm fine, thanks." I smiled. "How's your investigation going?"

"Pretty well, I think." She said. "I found out, that um, the bar has things other than alcohol, like, uh, hot cocoa." She held her cup towards me a bit. "Do you want a sip?"

"No thank you." I said. "I'm glad you found something to enjoy."

"Me too!" She said, smiling. "You know, Honrei-san, I think bars, places like this, are pretty interesting."

"How so?"

"Well, they're places where a lot of relationships start." She said. "Even though the ones started here often end badly or are extremely quick, there are a few people who can build life-long partnerships over something as simple as buying a beer for a pretty girl. There serendipity and chance of it is, um, kinda cool, I think."

Though it took me a few seconds to process all she had said, I tried to reply honestly and quickly.

"You're right, Nishimura-san." I said. "It is kinda cool. The chance of meeting someone right for you feels like one in a million, but places like this, and people like you, make it feel easy for the rest of us."

Nishimura seemed to sparkle at my hidden compliment.

"I do try my best!" She said. "Oh, well, but, aside from the hot cocoa, I haven't really found anything new here, I'm sorry."

"That's okay." I said. "From the looks of it, there isn't much to actually find here. It's just a bunch of tables and chairs."

"Thanks, Honrei-chan." She said, seeming to blush slightly. "After I finish this cocoa, I'll make sure to inspect everything really closely to make sure there aren't any secret exits or anything!"

"I believe in you." I smiled. "I'm gonna go check with everyone else now, okay?"

"Alright!" She said.

I left the comfortable dining chair, and risking the future fate of my relaxing capabilities, went over to Yanagi at the bar, slipping on top of the bar stool next to him.

"Hey, Yanagi-kun." I said.

"Brace yourself." He replied. It didn't make sense at first, but then-

"Boo!" Mizuki jumped out from behind the counter, spooking me into nearly falling out of my stool.

"They never listen." Yanagi sighed, while Mizuki snickered.

"Mizuki-kun knew his trick would work!" He said. "Look how scared Squirrel-chan is! Look, look, Acorn-kun."

"I'm looking." Yanagi said. "I think she was just a bit shocked, you didn't really _scare_ her."

"Hmph!" Mizuki pouted. "You're no fun. Isn't he no fun, Squirrel-chan?!"

"I think he's very kind." I said. "For trying to save me from that, at least."

"You mean you don't like being scared?" Mizuki tilted his head.

"Of course I don't!" I said. "It's, well, it's scary!"

Mizuki turned to the side, as if thinking a little, then jumped back up to looking cheery. He grabbed a tall glass, I think the shape was called a 'Coca-Cola' glass, but it didn't have any logos on it, just that kind of curvature. Either way, Mizuki held it up to one of the taps and sprayed it full then took a long sip before I could even try to stop him. The foam stuck to his upper lip.

"What are you doing?!" I nearly shouted, but tried to keep my voice down. "Isn't that beer?!"

"Yup it is!" Mizuki grinned. " _Root_ beer! If only I had some ice cream for it. I swear I could be twice as adorable as that other twerp if I had an old man to call 'grampa' and a cool hat!"

"Disregarding the later statement." Yanagi sighed. "He's telling the truth. It's just soda in that one."

"That one, what do you mean?" I asked. "Couldn't all the taps be root beer?"

"They could, but we checked!" Mizuki said.

"From the six here." Yanagi said. "Starting from our right, there's root beer, ginger ale, and cream soda. The rest are alcohol of some sort, but don't expect me to know the difference between an ale and a lager by taste alone."

"And you... tested this?" I asked.

"Yup! Mizuki-kun made Acorn-kun try all of them!" Mizuki said. "It was really funny to watch him with the one that looks like apple juice."

"Wait, Yanagi-kun, you actually drank that? That's alcohol!" I said.

"I spit it out as soon as I was sure." he looked to the side.

"But Acorn-kun definitely looks more adult than Mizuki-kun!" Mizuki said. "Even though I'm older."

"You don't know that for sure." Yanagi said. Mizuki giggled.

"Well, then," I cast that subject aside. "Have you found anything else here?"

"Yup!" Mizuki said. "This wall has all sorts of things! Like sodas and fancy scotch and fruit juice!"

"That is, if the labels are to be trusted." Yanagi cut in.

"They even have peach soda!" Mizuki continued.

"That sounds disgusting." I said.

"It is!" Mizuki replied.

"There are ten rows of shelves and exactly 20 bottles to each row." Yanagi said. "In case that information is pertinent."

"Thank you, Yanagi-kun." I said. "And of those 200 bottles, are they all unique?"

"Looks like it." He said. "Most of them, even the sodas, are in glass bottles too. Some might be thick plastic, but that's hard to differentiate from appearances."

"So, Squirrel-chan!" Mizuki said, butting in. "Can I get you a drink?"

"I'll pass." I said. "I should probably go check up with Ajiyama-chan."

"See you later, Honrei-san."

"See ya, Squirrel-chan!"

I stepped away from the bar, and about as soon as I had, the speakers in the building started playing a different song. I saw Ajiyama grinning over by the juke box as soon as a voice started singing.

"What's new pussycat, whoaaowoahowoahwo-o."

I stepped up to Ajiyama, trying to disregard the annoying lyrics.

"Hiii, Honrei-chan." She smirked.

"Did you do this?" I asked.

"Yes." She deadpanned. "Do you wanna be my friend John? Tell me what to put in after the seventh play?"

"No." I said. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because it's the one thing you can't replace? Wait, no, that's a different one." She hummed in thought. "I just think it's funny."

"I think we're done here, so let's go." I said.

"But Honrei-chan!" She whined. "The jukebox only lets you put in one song request at a time. Besides, how am I supposed to see the reactions?!"

"Try again another time, maybe." I said. "But with or without you, I'm leaving."

"So mean!" She pouted. "Fine, I'm going. You're no fun."

I hoped, at least, she wasn't actually mad at me as she stomped out the door. I followed her out onto the street.

"We continue left from here, right?" I asked. Ajiyama didn't answer. "Alright, then."

I went ahead towards the left, even without her input. Only a few steps later Ajiyama called out to me.

"Honrei-chan! Hold up!" She said. "I can't walk as fast as you! My legs are shorter!"

"Are you sure it's not your shoes?" I asked, trying not to laugh too loud at how she gave in so quickly.

"You and your practical shoes, Honrei-chan." Ajiyama sighed. "You just don't get how a cute accessory can finish off the whole look!"

"Haha, Maede-san said the same-"

I stopped.

Not just because I had mentioned Maede, but because the moment I did, we came upon the next building on the path. It wasn't large, or imposing, or even scary looking, but still, looking at it made me sick, and weak at my knees. It was a brick building, painted a light pink with white trim, and above the door, there was a sign that read; "Flowering Beauty Salon", but, the windows along the front allowed me to see what really made me nervous.

"This is..." Ajiyama trailed off.

"Let's just go inside." I said. "Maybe it's a coincidence.

I pushed through the door, and a bell above it rang as I did. Inside the shop, a sparkling pink floor, numerous salon chairs in bright colors, and a terrifyingly familiar metal contraption in one corner came into view. Around the mirror for one of the stylist stations were a large collection of glossy printed photographs of Maede's face.

"I'm gonna be sick." Ajiyama mumbled.

"Do it in one of the sinks, okay?" Keina responded, though her voice sounded grim. She was one of three people who were already in the room, along with Gendou and Tomiko. Probably the worst possible combination of people to find this building in particular.

Gendou looked about ready to cry, so when the room fell silent aside from the rattle of an air circulation system, I went over to him first.

"Gendou-kun, are you okay?" I asked. He didn't respond, more than a shifting of his body to acknowledge my presence. I continued. "It's okay if you don't want to talk, just, uh, nod if you want me to leave you alone."

"It's my fault." He whispered, unmoving. "It's my fault Maede-san is dead."

"What? No, it's not, Gendou-kun-"

"Yes it is!" He snapped, but still not very loud. His voice sounded hoarse, like he had been crying for a few hours. "If I hadn't, if I didn't say, _that_ , then Maede-san would still be alive right now. Tomiko-san, she warned me not to, but I did, and now, now she's-"

"It's not your fault." I said. "If you hadn't said that, then the rest of us would be dead, and it's monokuma's fault that anyone had to die in the first place."

"But," Gendou whimpered. "I still, I feel responsible. I, I didn't want for Maede-san to die. I didn't want any of this,"

"No one did, we-"

"Just saying that doesn't help anything!" Gendou shouted suddenly, then quieted again. "Nothing we can do will bring her back. She's dead, and no amount of remembering or hoping or anything like that will bring her back! I don't need someone to try and talk me out of my grief! Nothing will change how guilty I feel over this, so leave me alone, okay?"

"Alright." I said. I stepped away from Gendou, and he went back to the same expression as before I approached him. I felt a bit frazzled, but I went ahead and walked straight over to Tomiko next. If she was going to be angry with me too, I decided it would be better to just deal with it all at once.

"Oh, hello Honrei-san." Tomiko said as I stepped up. She sounded much less cheery than her usual self.

"Hi, Tomiko-san." I said. "Are you doing okay?"

"Oh, I'm great. Absolutely marvelous." It took me a few seconds with her monotone to realize it was sarcasm. "Why would he make a place like this? Why would he make us see it? That awful, sadistic bear."

"Be careful, he might show up." I said, in a hushed tone.

"I guess he has a habit of doing that when people talk about him, huh?" Tomiko said. "Anyways, you probably want to hear about what I've found around here, right?"

"I guess." I said. "But I'm more worried about you, Tomiko-san."

"That's sweet." She replied. "I promise I'll be okay. Of course I'm upset, but that's just a drive to do better, right? What happened with Maede-san was really unfortunate, so I'm going to make sure under my rules no one else dies. I've actually removed most of the rules, but, well, you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I get it." I said. "I really think you're going to do a good job, Tomiko-san!"

"Thanks!" She said. "Your encouragement means a lot!" She then shifted, crossing her arms. "So, this place."

"Yeah?"

"It's a fully functional hair and makeup salon." She said. "Apparently... not just an execution stage. I could probably fix my roots here whenever I need to."

"Oh, yeah, Tomiko-san," I said. "Which of those is your natural hair color, anyways?"

"Hm? Neither." Tomiko said. "I'm Japanese, why would I have bright blonde hair? Let alone purple."

"Then, how do you get it to look like that?" I asked.

"Well, I dyed the whole thing purple, which was easier, since my natural color is a bit lighter shade of brown than most people, and then I dip bleached the ends. Looks cool, right?"

"It does!" I said. "Even though I don't think any sort of dye like that would suit me."

"You look cute just the way you are." Tomiko said. "Brown hair suits you well."

"Not just because I'm really boring, right?" I asked.

"Of course not! You're very interesting, Honrei-san." Tomiko said. "Thank you for coming over to check on me, by the way. Sorry I didn't find more."

"That's okay, I learned a lot from you!" I said. Taking what she said as a cue to leave, I moved over towards Keina, near one of the stylist stations. She seemed to be looking at the pictures of Maede.

"Hey, Keina-san," I prompted. She didn't even look in my direction.

"She was, she was really pretty, you know?" She said. I went ahead and assumed she was talking about Maede. "A few days, just a few more days and I could have, I could've,"

"Could have what?" I asked.

"It doesn't matter at this point." She sighed. "Did you need something, Honrei-san?"

"I was just checking upon you, to see if you had found anything yet." I said.

"Only my own regrets." She replied, then paused. "Sorry! That was really edgy! No, but, I've just been looking at these stations."

"Anything interesting?"

"Not really." She said. "A few things for hair, and some for makeup, maybe a few fancy scissors and razor attachments, and more expensive foundation than my entire collection."

"You wear makeup, Keina-san?" I asked, a bit shocked.

"Huh? Oh, well, not that often." She looked down. "There hasn't been much opportunity to warrant it here yet. Maybe if I had-"

"So you do look that pretty without trying," I mumbled, unintentionally cutting her off. Her cheeks reddened slightly.

"Honrei-san! You're really too nice to me!" She stumbled. "I barely do anything! You should see my sibling, xe puts a lot more effort into xyr appearance than I do."

"Well, xe must be cute if xe looks any bit like you do!" I said.

"Gosh," Keina flushed again. "What's the big deal with all these compliments?"

"It's a salon, right?" I responded. "It's the kind of place where you're supposed to make people feel nice! And, you looked sad, so I wanted to cheer you up."

"That's, very kind of you." She said. "I, I think I'll be fine now, even if I am sad."

"I'm glad!" I said, mirroring the smile she gave me.

I stepped away from Keina, safe in the knowledge that we both felt a little better about ourselves. Deciding I was done with the salon, I then went over to Ajiyama.

"Hey, Ajiyama-chan." I said.

"Hmph." She pouted, crossing her arms.

"Huh? What's wrong now?" I asked.

"Well!" She said, with an indignant tone. "Aren't you going to call me pretty too? Or cool looking, or something!"

"Oh!" I gasped. "Well of course you are! You being cute is a given, so I just didn't think to mention it!"

"That's not fair, Honrei-san!" She said, her entire face going red. "You're no fair!"

I laughed nervously as she stomped her foot.

"Sorry, Ajiyama-chan." I said. "I was just wondering if you were ready to go."

"Wait." She said. "No, I'm not ready. I wanna talk about this place first."

"What about it?" I asked.

"Well, why?" She countered. "Why are we being shown this, not only a place she would have liked, like with the Skatepark for Sunagawa, but the very place she died in."

"I," I said. "How am I supposed to know that?"

"You're not, just." She looked frustrated. "Help me bounce around ideas. There has to be some reason we're not allowed to grieve with a proper funeral, and instead we get this."

"Maybe he just wants to upset us?" I suggested.

"That feels too simple." She replied. "What's the underlying reason? The motivation, why are we trapped here, why did the person behind this chose us, and why are they doing it all in the first place?"

"Don't you think you might be overthinking it?" I asked.

"No! I don't think I am!" She said. "Just, ugh! It's so frustrating! This situation, it's created to cause chaos and doubt in each other, but what do they get out of it!?"

"Maybe you need to calm down-"

"I am calm!" She shouted, causing nearly everyone in the room to jump. "I, I, I'm sorry, I just _really_ want to know why."

Ajiyama suddenly leaned forward onto me, and only when I felt the wetness through my shirt did I realize she was crying. I patted the back of her head gently, until she stopped and stood back up straight.

"Let's go, Honrei-chan." She said, sniffling a bit. "I, I think I'm done here now."

Not saying anything, I took her hand and led her back out onto the path. I continued to the left, only to end up back where we started, at the path leading to the outer circle. Without words, we agreed to continue there, but we found nothing, and just ended up back at the dorm building.

"So, I guess that was everything." I said.

"Probably." Ajiyama agreed. "It makes sense, since we found everyone else too."

Interrupting our conversation, my stomach growled. Ajiyama giggled.

"I guess it's about lunch time, isn't it?" She said. "Come on, let's go find some food."

This time Ajiyama dragged me forward into the building, and then the kitchen. Keina and Ryouta were already there.

"Yo! Ajiyama called out. "Hey, am I getting deja vu or what!"

"Oh, hello, Ajiyama-san, Honrei-san." Keina said. "I guess the two of us did investigate here when we first arrived here, huh? Well, we're just cooking now, no worries!"

"Can we help at all?" I asked.

"Hm! Well, that's very nice of you!" Keina said. She nudged Ryouta, who still seemed focused on preparing whatever the food was.

"Yeah," he mumbled. "Thanks."

"But I think we'll be good on our own." Keina continued. "You can just focus on enjoying the food once it's done!"

I nodded, and stepped back into the dining room, where the tables and chairs were still set up from breakfast. I pulled out a chair for Ajiyama and let her sit down first before I followed suit. We talked about a few things, mostly relating to anthropology, as the room filled up. As soon as it seemed everyone had arrived, Keina and Ryouta came out with the food. Nearly instantly, people started talking about their findings, bur since I knew I had already visited everywhere, and Ajiyama would know all the same things I did, I tuned the conversation out and focused on eating. This was mostly successful, until I was called to attention by someone saying my name.

"Hey, Honrei-san, what's that file you have?" Komori asked. "Anything interesting?"

"I," I was confused at first, because I had forgotten I was even carrying the file. "This is, well actually, Iyakami-san found it. It's a file of different criminal cases involving Hope's Peak students."

"This whole ordeal should be the headline article, then." Tomiko groaned.

"What's inside?" Toshima prompted.

"I haven't had a chance to read it yet." I said. "I think Iyakami-san said he did, though."

"I looked through a lot of it." He responded. "It's mostly mundane things, like petty theft and the gang activity of the Super High School Level Yakuza or Biker Gang Leader, nothing unexpected."

"But you said _mostly_." Minagami said. "What is the rest of it, that you must be so withholding with the information?"

Iyakami looked in my direction, as if he expected me to say it. I sighed, preparing myself mentally.

"There's sections on serial killers." I paused. "And cult activities."

"C-cults?" Gendou stuttered. "W-w-why would th-that be in a file about H-Hope's Peak students?"

"For the very reason one would expect." Rukiro said. "Hope's Peak students have been involved in cults, and they were found out."

"But who would do such a thing!" Nishimura gasped. "Serial killers, cult members, we're supposed to be the pinnacle of Hope, why would someone-"

"You would be surprised." Rukiro said. "In fact, I'm nearly certain one person in this room is undoubtedly in that section of the file."

"What! Who?!" Komori nearly shouted.

"The same person who found the file." Minagami said. "Iyakami-san, are we correct?"

"How ridiculous." Iyakami scoffed. "I am merely a priest for an offshoot of one of the most widespread religions in the world. How is that cultish?"

No one responded right away. Keina spoke up with a stutter.

"A-anyways, I think that's everything important." She said. "Everyone remember to eat dinner, even if you don't come to do so with the group."

"W-we'll be cooking tonight!" Nishimura said. "L-look forward to it!"

With that, everyone dispersed. I returned to my room for the time being, but before I could even set down the file on my dresser, I stumbled back in shock, only barely holding in a shout.

"Whoa whoa! Don't act so shocked!" Monokuma said. He was perched on the edge of my bed. "Wasn't it you complaining that you'd like a peaceful way to remember the dead? Well, I am a benevolent bear!"

At the side of my room, a part that had been empty before, there were two fish tanks, definitely of adequate size, with a single fish in each. I stepped over closer to the tanks to inspect them. The one on the left had a brightly colored orange and blue fish, similar in shape to a goby. A small plaque on the tank read " _Synchiropus splendidus_ ". Colloquially, it was known as the mandarin fish, because its bright colors resembled the cloak of a mandarin emperor, apparently. The tank next to it had a green spotted puffer.

" _Dichotomyctere fluviatilis_." I said, reading the plaque. "Are you sure it's not _nigroviridis_  or _sabahensis_  instead?"

"What are you on about?" Monokuma asked.

"Well, the three types of spotted green puffers are indistinguishable by coloration alone." I said. "The majority of shops can't tell them apart, and mislabel them a lot."

"That's not what you're supposed to be getting out of this!" Monokuma huffed. "And it’s a fluvi-whatever because I said so! No more questions!"

He left, as I continued looking at the tanks. Thankfully they were both fully equipped, including automatic feeding systems, so I wouldn't have to worry at all about them dying because of my own mistakes.

With that curiosity satisfied, I felt safe leaving my room again. Saying goodbye to my two new fish friends, I locked my door behind me and headed out.

 


	11. Chapter Two: Paint the Town Pink: Daily Life- Part Three

I decided to go to the Skatepark, partially because it was nearby in comparison to everywhere else, but also because I didn't feel quite done with it yet. Even on my own, the walk didn't feel long, and I was there in no time. I quickly saw Komori was back to practicing tricks on the _many_ different concrete surfaces, but I went over to the equipment shack instead. Gendou was inside, messing with a lot of the protective gear.

"Hello, Gendou-kun." I said. He jumped.

"Oh! It's just y-you." He stammered. "H-hello, Honrei-san."

"What are you up to?" I asked. "Anything interesting?"

"Um, no, not really." He looked down. "I was just, uh, looking around some... But I haven't found anything that whoever was here before me wouldn't have."

"How about we try skating?" I suggested.

"Huh? W-where did that come from?"

"It'll get your mind off things." I said. "It's okay to have a little fun once in a while. Come on, suit up."

"O-okay." He nodded, and I think he brightened up a little bit.

It didn't take long at all for us both to get set up with padding and skates of our choice, Gendou in roller blades, and myself on traditional roller skates. We spent a while fumbling around and falling over, but I think we both had fun doing it. We sat down together at the edge of one of the half pipe, pool-type things after a while to rest.

"Gosh, I wish I had thought to bring a water bottle or something." I said. "I'm really tired after all that, I can't imagine you, with how many layers you have on."

"It's not too bad." Gendou said. "It's fairly cool down here in the dome, and I'm used to always wearing this much anyways. I actually don't know how you can stand wearing so little."

"Maybe I'm used to this too." I said, and a few moments later, sighed. After a while longer, I spoke again. "Hey Gendou-kun, how did you get into graffiti, anyways?"

"D-do you mean Guerilla art?" He asked.

"There's a difference?"

"W-well yeah! A b-big one!" He said, then quieted back down, even more than before. "Graffiti is illegal, a-and a lot of the time p-people associate it with j-just spray-painting t-tags, b-but I don't do that!... anymore at least."

The last of his statement had fallen to a whisper, so I elected to ignore it for Gendou's sake.

"What's guerilla art, then?" I prompted.

"Oh! I-it's really c-cool, actually." He said. "The whole idea is making art appear where there wasn't before, l-like, showing up o-over night. A-a lot of c-communities g-get me to do public works, l-like murals o-on old buildings, to give them new l-life, o-or, y-yarn bombing, w-which is when you c-cover things with multi-colored y-yarn, b-but you should never do that to t-trees or p-plants, b-because the string prevents them from breathing. I usually d-do it on things l-like l-light posts. It's f-fun to see people's reactions to s-something b-beautiful showing up out of nowhere."

"I bet it is." I said, with a soft smile. "I've only ever been to the city on vacation and school trips, and my town never did anything like that, so I've never seen it in real life, but it sounds really cool."

"You should come help me with it sometime!" Gendou said, excitedly. "Maybe your talent is something, um, related to art!"

"I can't say I remember being too artistic." I said. "But if I couldn't remember my talent, maybe I won't remember anything related to it as well."

"Well a-art is r-really cool, anyways!" Gendou said. "S-so you should t-try it, right?"

"I definitely will. No worries, Gendou-kun." I said.

"Oh, thank gosh." He sighed. "I was, ah, I was w-worried you m-might think it w-was weird for me to l-like art so much."

"Why would I think that?" I asked.

"Well, people are a-always s-saying STEM f-fields are m-more important o-or cool." He paused. "A-artists get looked d-down upon a-a lot, e-especially boys."

"Isn't art like, super hard, though?" I asked. He nodded. "So, it's extra cool that you keep trying even though everyone wants to get you down."

"Thank you, Honrei-san." He said. "U-um, did you h-have any m-more questions about art?"

"Oh, hm." I paused. "How about, which kind is your favorite?"

"M-m-m-my favorite?" He stuttered. "Well, me, um, I, my f-favorite I-I guess is w-when people l-let me d-do murals, b-but they don't t-tell me what to p-paint, s-so I can do m-my own thing o-on a really big scale. I-i-it's fun, b-but it doesn't h-happen often, s-so it's like a special t-treat."

"I would think a lot of people would want an original piece by you, Gendou." I said. "You're a Super High School Level, that's really cool!"

"Well, yeah, they like pieces by me." He said. "But a-a lot of them have ideas in their heads already o-of what they w-want. I-if I want to d-do something f-for myself it c-comes out of my own p-pocket. D-don't get me w-wrong, though! I s-still enjoy it a-a lot!"

"You're lucky you get to do something you enjoy for a living." I said, trying to be encouraging.

"Y-yah, that's what everyone says." He replied, sounding more upset than I anticipated. "L-listen, H-Honrei-san, I th-think I h-have t-to go."

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"Huh?" He blinked. "No! Nothing's wrong! J-just d-dinner sh-should be s-soon, right? I, I wanna help, even if I'm n-not in charge."

"Oh! That's quite nice of you, Gendou-kun." I said.

"Th-thanks." He mumbled, then stood up. "I-I'll put this s-stuff away a-and s-see you l-later, I guess."

"Of course, see you, Gendou-kun." I said. He walked off and left the Skate Park without incident, and I waited a few more minutes so he wouldn't feel awkward with us both going the same way.

After a while I got up, yawning and stretching, and went back to the Dorm House. Once inside, a pleasant smell filled the air, surprisingly not one that overwhelmed me. I followed it through to the dining hall, where the shutters were open, so I could see straight through to where the winter team was hard at work. Ajiyama was seated at one of the tables, and she smiled wide at me, as an invitation to sit down.

The rest of dinner happened uneventfully, and it tasted very nice, too.

I was almost entirely ready for bed, having brushed my teeth and changed into pajamas already, when the speakers started up. It was still early for the nighttime announcement, based on what my eHandbook said, so I couldn't help being a little worried.

"Ding Dong Bing Bong." Monokuma sang-songed. "Attention students, please meet up in the meeting hall immediately! And don't worry about changing clothes, you're all beautiful the way you are." He ended the message by blowing a kiss towards the camera, which was unnerving, but I supposed I had to listen to monokuma anyways. Making sure I kept my eHandbook with me. Even though my pajama pants had pockets, technically, I didn't trust the flimsy and well-worn fabric to hold it in place.

In the hallways of the Dorm House I saw a few people headed in the same direction, including a very tired looking Ajiyama in a nightgown and Mizuki, whose only difference from his normal outfit was that he had changed hoodies, to one that was even bigger on him, and had animal ears sewn onto the hood. Minagami had on an embroidered robe, and I was afraid to see what was underneath.

All of the comments people had made about my shoes being practical kind of bit as I rushed to the meeting hall in slippers.

It seemed like everyone else carried the same urgency I had, because once I arrived, it only took a minute or two more for everyone to get there, and we were all confused by one thing. On stage, washed out by a spotlight, was a small bookshelf. Even from faraway I could easily count that there were only 12 books.

"What kind of bookshelf only has 12 books?" Komori said, loud enough for everyone to hear.

"A very important one!" Monokuma shouted. I had somewhat gotten used to him popping up out of nowhere.

"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Toshima, apparently, hadn't.

"Calm down, ya pussy!" Monokuma said, flipping the hair that didn't exist atop his head dramatically. "What's so weird about a bear appearing from nowhere anyway, huh? What's _your_ problem?"

"Why are you here?" Ryouta cut through. "And what's the deal with the bookshelf?"

"Hold on! I'll explain, hold your horses! And your elephants and your giraffes and rhinos." Monokuma sighed even more dramatically. "You all just can't enjoy a nice conversation with me, can you? It makes me _bear_ y lonely."

"That pun was completely unnecessary." Komori said.

"Well now! That's rude!" Monokuma said. "I'm just worried about you poor students getting enough sleep, so I thought I'd do the nice thing and read you a fairy tale story every night before you went to bed, starting tonight."

"That can't be all there is to this." Yanagi said.

"Well, maybe! Maybe not!" Monokuma chuckled. "I think some of you might find these stories very familiar! And before you go insulting them, I wrote them myself! Wouldn't want to hurt my feelings, would you?"

"Just get on with it." Tomiko groaned.

"Fine, fine!" Monokuma said. "Let's see, today, I'll read..." He ran his paw along the spines of the books on the shelf. "Ah! This one, 'The Princess and the Pistol'!"

"Pistol?" I mumbled, entirely to myself. I decided to listen attentively, just in case this would be important.

"Once upon a time a beautiful princess was born into a kingdom to a King and Queen, who loved her very much. The Kingdom was small, which made it even easier for all of the people to love their fair princess and wish her well. The princess grew up happily, she studied all the traditional subjects: literature, sewing, and of course, experimental physics and chemistry! But the kingdom could not support how fast their princess was learning, so she was sent away to the biggest kingdom in the land to allow her to further her studies!

"The princess had always been the fairest, and the _only_ princess in her land, so when she arrived in the big kingdom and saw how many other princesses there were, and how much prettier they all were, she was shocked and confused! How could this have happened?

"Our dear princess did all she could to keep up with the others. She spent more time than anyone practicing singing and dancing, and went out in public to entertain the masses in all her spare time, but the princess herself gained no joy from acting like all the other princesses, and she was still, despite her best efforts, barely noticed among the others.

"What the princess wanted more than anything was to improve the people's lives. Not through frivolous song and dance, but by laughter, and educational discovery. But the princess saw no way to see her dreams through. She was unpopular, and unfunny, and even when she came up with the most amazing puns she was ignored. The princess was hopeless.

"One night, as the princess strolled through the streets, almost completely forgone, she came upon what appeared to be an assassin, murdering a common folk couple on the tallest bridge in town. The princess was terrified, paralyzed to the spot in fear, so she couldn't even run when the assassin turned around to face her.

"'Please don't kill me!' The princess begged. The assassin merely laughed. Now that the princess looked closer, she saw the assassin was actually a witch. He extended a hand forward with an extravagant pose.

"'I will not kill you.' The witch said. 'But in exchange you must come with me, and join my coven. We can grant you any wish you desire, at a small price.'

"Before the princess could answer, the witch fled, leaving her alone on the bridge. The princess spent the next few nights worrying over these events, and rolling around the options in her head. The very same night she finally made her decision, the witch appeared by night at her bedchamber window, his grin like a Cheshire’s in the night sky.

"'I see you've made up your mind.' He said, offering his hand again. The princess grasped it firmly.

"'I want to be able to make everyone laugh, and bring joy to my people.' The princess said. 'But tell me, what is the price you spoke of?'

"'You must give up your soul in exchange for power,' the witch said. 'And use this power to do the coven's work. Without this part of you, any relationship outside of the coven must be cast aside.'

"The princess agreed, for she had no friends among those she knew, and this agreement would finally give her a sense of purpose in life. Imbued with magical energies, the princess became a famed comedian by day, while at night she patrolled the streets, looking for new victims to the coven.

"The princess was happy, for she could finally bring joy to others. The End."

The room fell silent when monokuma finished reading, placing the book on the second shelf of the bookcase. Most of us simply looked bored, or confused, but in the corner-

"You!" Komori seethed, looking shaken. "How did you get that?! Why would you read that?!"

"Hey, Komori-chan, chill, it's just a badly written story." Toshima said.

"No, it's not, he-" Komori was cut off.

"Now, now, don't go spoiling the secret ending!" Monokuma pouted. "You'll ruin it for everyone else! This was a bedtime story anyways, so you all should probably get off to sleep! Wouldn't want to get caught out at night!"

Though Komori still looked enraged, Keina led her out, and we all left the meeting hall. I went straight to bed once I was back in the Dorm House.

"Greetings students! This is the Hope's Peak water dome executive committee! Speaking to wish you a good night's sleep! Goodnight! Sleep tight! Don't let the piranhas bite!"

~

<Monokuma Theater 5>

"What, you all want something _more_ after I already read a story? The human race is so greedy! Well, then, let's talk about fiction! A lot of people like to argue that fiction is just that- fiction! Even going so far as to put disclaimers before video games saying that any resemblance to persons real or fictional is unintended, but is that actually the truth? Even if the author didn't consciously do it, what if the main villain is just a carbon copy of that one customer who was mean to them while they had that part time job as a cashier? What if that really flashy character is just that really flashy person they're friends with in real life? After all, everyone says to write what you know..."

~

"Gooood morning everyone! This is the Hope's Peak water dome executive committee wishing you the best of days! Just remember it's better down where it's wetter!"

I rolled over in bed and pulled the covers over my head. Moments after waking up I already had a heavy dread about the day to come. Maybe I could sleep in for once, treat myself.

As soon as I felt ready to fall back asleep, Ajiyama pounced on my bed, right on top of me, with her knee digging into my side.

"Honrei-chan!" She wailed. "Are you okay?! Wake up!"

I groaned in response. Ajiyama stepped off the bed, and I heard her steps as she ran out, followed by some grunting. Finally, I sat up, to see Ajiyama trying to pull the shower head much further than the cord would allow, out of the stall, and all the way into my room. To make sure I wasn't seeing incorrectly, I put my glasses on, but it was still the same comical scene.

"Were you seriously going to spray me with water?" I asked.

"Honrei-chan!" Ajiyama exclaimed, dropping the shower head. "You're awake!"

"I don't want to be." I sighed.

"No one does! But that's okay." Ajiyama smiled. She then rushed out of the room to put the shower head back where it belonged, then ran back to my bed. "All the other teams cooked yesterday, we should make breakfast today."

"Alright." I said. "I'll get dressed, you can go bug Yanagi-kun and Mizuki-kun."

"On it!" Ajiyama saluted, then ran off.

Slowly, at my own pace, I got up out of bed and prepared myself for the day. I felt much more lethargic than usual, but I still go through everything, and when I was done I headed to the kitchen.

A few people had already gathered, chatting, in the dining hall, but I favored to push past them and onto the kitchen, where my three teammates were all hard at work.

"You're late." Yanagi commented. I shrugged.

"What can I do to help?" I asked.

Ajiyama quickly started rattling off different tasks, and helping the three of us prepare the meal, and it was ready in no time. With all four of us it was easy to carry the dishes out to everyone too. I sat in an open chair next to Komori. She looked somewhat cheered up since last night, but she wasn't completely her happy self.

"Are you okay?" I asked, soft enough for only her to hear.

"Huh? Why wouldn't I be?" She bit her lip, a bit too obviously nervous. Her hand went up to twirl her hair around the signature spiral, but she forced it back down. "Listen, um, can we talk after breakfast, somewhere more private?"

"Alright." I nodded. "I'll look for you."

After eating, and then making sure all the dishes got washed, I left the Dorm House, and started looking for Komori. Hopefully she hadn't strayed too far. I lapped the dome's outer circle a few times, as well as the inner circle, before I finally found Komori, waiting at the beach, stretched out on the sand, but still fully clothed.

"Took you long enough." She yawned, sitting up.

"I expected you to be in one of the newer places." I said.

"Well you always liked the beach, so I thought I could hang here." She said. "The view of the fish is nice here, isn't it?"

"Yeah," I said. I stepped forward and sat on the sand next to her. "About last night, what was the deal with-"

"My reaction?" Komori sighed.

"No, actually, I meant the story." I said. "I mean, it made you upset, and that means there had to be something about it, right?"

"Oh." Komori said. I leaned forward to watch her face as she spoke, hugging my knees. "That story, it definitely wasn't fiction. It was, well, it's the story of my life."

"You're a princess, Komori-chan?!" I exclaimed.

"No, no, silly." Komori laughed, and even at my own expense, I was happy to see her smile. "Monokuma probably dressed it up to sound like a fairy tale, but undoubtedly that was what happened to me."

Thinking back on the story, I couldn't quite understand how any of it was a true story, but I could focus on small bits, one at a time, and figure it out. Maybe.

"The witch, then-" I started.

"He's my best friend." Komori smiled again. "His name is Shiroju, I call him Kat-chan, though. He was supposed to go to Hope's Peak, too, the same year as me."

"What's his talent, then?" I prompted.

"Musketeer." She said. "It sounds kind of funny, huh? He's a sharpshooter, but he always wins competitions with muskets, which are older guns, harder to aim. Gosh, we've been together forever, I can't imagine life without him."

"You were close, then?" I asked.

"Extremely." She said.

"About the rest of the story, then,"

"It's exactly what happened, sort of." She said. "I moved from my small town to Tokyo, to become an idol, but I wasn't very good at it, and it wasn't much fun, so I became a gameshow host instead."

"You were an idol?!" I gasped.

"Hm? Yeah, for a little bit." She said, then turned to look at me. "But that's enough of my life story, Honrei-chan, you wanna hang out some more?"

"Yeah, I'd like that." I said.

"Great! I have the perfect thing!" Komori jumped up. "Roxie's super awesome supreme water dome quiz show!" I swore I could hear the bells and the theme song behind her.

"Who's Roxie?" I asked.

"That's my stage name." Komori winked. "Sounds like Rokushi, right? Western audiences like it better, too."

"It sounds cool." I said.

"Thanks." She smiled. "Now, then, contestant number one! Are you ready?"

There was a pause.

"That's you, Honrei-chan." She whispered.

"Oh! Yes! I'm ready!" I said.

"Alright!" Komori mimed a microphone as she moved around dramatically. "Then, here's your first question! On the day we arrived here, who could be found searching the beach?"

<Choice>

"Komori, Sunagawa, and Tomiko"

"Komori, Minagami, and Rukiro"

"Komori, Gendou, and Toshima"

\---

**Komori, Sunagawa, and Tomiko**

<END>

"Oh, well, when Ajiyama-chan and I stopped by, you, Sunagawa-kun, and Tomiko-chan were there, I think."

"Ding ding ding ding!" Komori clapped, while making an imitation of a bell noise with her mouth. "You've got it! You have a sharp memory, Miss Honrei Natsuki!"

"Oh, thanks, but it hasn't actually been that long since-"

"Alright! Question number two!" Komori cut me off. Still, she was absolutely oozing charisma, so I couldn't bring myself to be upset over it. "How many out of the sixteen of us have brown hair?"

<Choice>

"Six"

"Seven"

"Eight"

\---

**Seven**

<END>

"Oh, hm," I tallied the numbers up in my head. "Seven?"

"Correct! Komori did a spin on one toe, as just another bit of flourish. "But you should really act more confident in your answers, Honrei-chan! This isn't Jeopardy, you can answer with a statement, not a question!"

"Jeopardy?"

"Question three!" She continued. "Who are the tallest and shortest people within our group?"

<Choice>

"Rukiro and Minagami"

"Ryouta and Nishimura"

"Toshima and Mizuki"

\---

**Toshima and Mizuki**

<END>

"That's easy! Toshima-kun and Mizuki-kun!" I said.

"Perfection, you're doing wonderful!" Komori gave a huge grin, the light glinting off her canines. "Now, onto-"

"Hey, wait." I stopped her.

"What's the matter? Do you need a commercial break?" She asked.

"Kind of, I just wanted to ask you a question." I said.

"Ask away! What's the big deal? The scoop?" She still seemed to keep hyped up, even though the quiz show atmosphere was gone.

"Why are you acting so excited?" I tilted my head, just slightly. "I mean, given this situation, is all."

"Why am I excited?" Komori stopped bouncing around, and just sort of stared at me, with a blank expression. "I, well, hm..."

"Sorry, that question was kind of off the wall." I said. "But I was just, curious, you know?"

"I have to go." Komori said, quickly and monotone. "I'll see you at lunch, I guess."

Before I could say anything else, Komori rushed off, leaving me alone.

After waiting around a few minutes, I headed back to the Dorm House. The halls were a little empty, but that just made it easier to get to the kitchen. Ryouta and Keina were cooking again, so I set out plates with Iyakami standing idly to the side, watching me. Not against my expectations, Komori hadn't shown up yet. The room filled up without here there, and as she rushed in, the last to arrive, she went straight to the kitchen before I could say anything to her. I went back to a casual conversation with Ajiyama, but in a sort of a flash, the next few events strung together.

The door to the kitchen made a buffeting sound as it opened.

An ear-splitting scream echoed through the small room.

The pot of stew that Ryouta had prepared clattered to the ground and shattered.

I turned around in time to see Komori crumple to the floor, head in her hands, and shaking violently. Her eyes were bloodshot, and a small trail of blood trickled down her forehead.

"Komori-san!" Chairs and tables toppled over as everyone pushed to one side of the room. Unspoken, we all let Keina to Komori's side first.

"Kat...chan..." Komori murmured out, voice hoarse from the scream. Hot stew pooled around her ankles.

"Komori-chan? Are you okay?" Keina asked. "What's wrong? God, we need to get you medical attention. Come on, I'll take you to my room and-"

"No!" Komori shouted. "I have to help Kat-chan. He's, he's in danger. I have to save him!"

"Komori-san, w-we can't leave." Gendou said, peering over top of Mizuki's hair, but his voice was quiet.

"But then, he's, he's going to..." Komori clasped a hand over her mouth. "Kat-chan..."

"C-come on, I'll, make sure you don't have any severe wounds." Keina said, lifting Komori off the ground, and supporting her at the side. "Everyone, I'll watch over her, and make sure she's okay."

"And we're supposed to trust you not to hurt her?" Iyakami asked.

"If you want to follow me, that's fine." Keina said. "But I have no plans to hurt her, and if anything at all bad happens to her, I will take all responsibility for it."

"I, um, I trust her." Nishimura said.

"Me too." Ajiyama followed.

"Thanks," Keina nodded. She then easily lifted Komori off her feet to carry her bridal style out of the room. Everyone was quiet after they had left.

"Alright, I'll make something new for lunch." Ryouta said. "Someone clean up this mess, and someone else come help me cook. Noe that Keina-san is gone I'll need some assistance. I'll try to make a new meal quicker than the last one."

People started rushing around again, putting tables back up, mopping up soup, and sweeping together pieces of broken ceramic. Ajiyama and Gendou headed into the kitchen to help Ryouta, and within almost no time at all, there was a new lunch put together. It all felt like it was over quicker than it started. I went back to my room after it all to relax from such a heavy event.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Update on November 10th.


	12. Chapter Two: Paint the Town Pink: Daily Life- Part Four

As soon as I entered through my door I felt ready to collapse and sleep for days, but I didn't want to ruin my sleep schedule with any kind of a nap, so I forced myself out of bed and into the open air outside of the Dorm House.

After taking a few deep breaths to wake myself up, I went to the bar, deciding some cream soda sounded nice. The bar seemed the same as before, with even the same ambient music playing, or maybe it was different, but I wasn't musically inclined enough to tell. Mizuki manned the bar, where Nishimura sat on a stool, but Yanagi was absent. The most shocking presence, however, was Rukiro, now without Minagami. I favored to approach him after getting a frothy mug of cream soda from Mizuki.

Once closer I could see all the ways Rukiro was fidgeting nervously, rubbing wrinkles out of the fabric of his outfit, and repeatedly tugging his collar back and forth as if to center it.

"Are you okay?" Was the first thing I asked. Rukiro looked left and right, and even around his back.

"Are you speaking towards myself?" He asked.

"Do you see anyone else?" I laughed nervously.

"...No?" Rukiro looked extremely confused at my laugh, going so far as to look around again. "Is there something you mean to procure from this interaction? What ulterior motives might you carry? Is this a taunt?"

"H-hey, um, relax, okay?" I said, stopping my laugh abruptly. "I just wanted to talk to you, do you want something to drink?"

"I am... fine." Rukiro said, looking deeply uncomfortable. "Let me secure us a setting to sit at, if you wish to continue a conversation."

"Oh, yeah! Sure! If you wanna sit down." I tried to give a comforting smile for Rukiro's sake. It had no effect. Instead, he silently stepped over to the nearest table and pulled out a chair. I took a seat in the chair opposite, and for a moment, Rukiro looked very confused, then upset. He sat down after a generous pause.

"So, well," Rukiro started. For a moment it sounded like he might start speaking normally. "What for did you pursue this interaction?"

"Did I need a reason?" I asked.

"...Yes?" Rukiro adjusted his collar again. "Usually one has something in mind when commencing upon a new action. Nothing is done without motivation. There has to be some end goal."

"An end goal?" I asked, sipping my cream soda. "Well, I guess if anything I just want to be your friend."

Rukiro narrowed his eyes at me.

"And I am to trust this as truth and not a ploy constructed of falsehoods?" He said.

"I don't _think_ I have any bad intentions." I said. "And, even if I do, we're just talking, right? There's not much I can do."

"I suppose..." Rukiro crossed his arms over his chest, and looked to the side. "Then, what subject is it you wish to discuss?"

"Oh, well, that's a difficult question." I said, scratching the side of my face nervously. "That's not really something you ask, you know?"

"It... is not?" Rukiro suddenly looked very anxious. "My sincere apologies. I did not know."

"It's okay!" I said quickly. "Sorry I made it awkward. I guess I just wanted to get to know you better. Tell me about yourself."

"That is a rather abstract request." Rukiro sighed. "Very well, I will make an attempt. Both Sachi and myself come from affluent family lines, though hers more so than mine I must admit. It was a business decision by our parents' companies to arrange our betrothal from a young age. The Minagami group, you see, has authority over a variety of hotel and housing companies, while the Rukiro group focuses on the food service industry. It was advantageous for a merging of sorts to gain exclusive access to restaurant affiliations within their hotels. So far it has been a successful venture, as far as I am aware. Profit for both companies has improved, as well as stock prices, though I am unsure if this causation or solely correlation. I am to inherit large portions of stock in both groups once I am of age, and Sachi already unofficially holds power over a portion, so I can only hope for financial success for the sake of monetary security. As far as the stock market goes-"

"Uh, Rukiro-san," I interrupted.

"Yes?" He cocked an eyebrow in question.

"This is, great and all, I'm learning a lot!" I stammered out. "But it's not really, about, _you_. It's all families and businesses and stuff like you'd talk about at a fancy Christmas party, you don't have to act so formal around me, okay? I'm really more interested in you, what kinds of things you do for fun, what you have a lot of passion about, things like that."

"I am, not very interesting." He said, voice turning softer. "If you are looking for an exciting individual, you are searching in the wrong place."

I frowned, unsure of how to respond to that.

"I am sure you do not intend to cause offense." He half-mumbled. "But your expectations for my abilities exceed my skill level. I can admit when I am not suited to a certain activity, and my talents lie in the role of a servant to Sachi."

"Then, well, uh, what do you do when she isn't around?" I asked, treading on eggshells.

"Unless she has specifically requested solitude I make an attempt to locate her." Rukiro said. "Otherwise I tend to use the time to complete household chores such as cooking or laundry."

"Do you even have any leisure time?" I asked, regaining just a small bit of confidence. "That sounds rough..."

"My leisure is to serve Sachi." He said, taking a bit more proud posture. "She is the most important part of my life. I do not treat her with such reverence out of obligation, rather out of adoration. Her dignity and capability are something I admire, and I will follow her to ends of the earth to aid her in any way possible."

"You're very devoted."

"Yes. I plan to devote my entire life to Sachi, to respect and value her. I wish for her success, as it is as important to me as my own."

"What of your own success then? What are your goals?"

"Is this an interview?" Rukiro replied, and for the very first time I heard him laugh. "Maybe that is your mysterious talent. Some sort of paparazzo sent to badger us for all our secrets."

Despite the content of what he said, Rukiro sounded jovial and happy for once in the conversation.

"You, are definitely the more intriguing of the two of us." He said. "I enjoyed talking to you, Honrei-san."

"Really? I was terrified you hated me for part of it,"

"I can tend to be rather hostile at times. Please forgive me for this." He smiled softly. "I am used to people coming to interact with me only for a potential monetary benefit. There is not much chance for that here, but I cannot help remaining wary unconsciously."

"Don't worry, I think I get that." I said. "I mean, I've never had that sort of situation myself, but I understand how it could happen."

"I think, I can trust you, Honrei-san." He said. "Do not think to betray that. You will not live to regret it."

Even after such a grave statement, Rukiro laughed again. I probably started to understand Rukiro a little better.

"Well, I think I should get back to Sachi now." Rukiro said. "The next time I have some time set aside for myself, you may feel free to converse with me again."

"I'll try to make time." I said. "Thanks."

Rukiro stood up first, and walked politely out the front door of the bar. I followed a few minutes later, when Rukiro would have already been gone a while.

It was starting to get late when I arrived back at the dining hall, and while dinner passed mostly without incident, I did notice Keina showing up briefly to get food for Komori and herself, before heading back to her room.

Soon enough it would be time for monokuma to call us to the Meeting Hall for his strange motive, if he were to keep his word about it. I decided to spend my extra time after dinner preparing myself mentally for it. Even if I couldn't keep it from happening, I could at least try to keep my head level, so I could help anyone else without having to worry about myself.

Just as I was about feeling ready to head out, shortly before the nighttime announcement, the monitor in my room switched itself on.

"Ding Dong Bing Bong." Monokuma said, identical to how he sang it the previous night. "Ahem, attention students, please meet up in the Meeting Hall immediately."

I sighed, stuffing my eHandbook into my skirt pocket, and heading towards the door, when the speakers crackled again.

"What do you think you're doing?" Monokuma snapped. I jumped. "How am I meant to read you all bedtime stories if you aren't even dressed for bed?! Fine, take a bit more time, but none of you better even think of showing up without your pajamas on! Where's your sense of fun?! Gosh,"

The screen shut off again, and reluctantly, I went back to change into sleepwear before leaving again.

I showed up a bit later than I would have liked to, but a gathering was already there, including Minagami, who was complaining loud enough that I heard her when I was still outside the building.

"What sort of sexual harassment must we draw the line at!" She barked, seeming to use anyone around as her audience. "Demanding for a lady to show herself in a nightgown! How indecent! Such a request should only be made between lovers!"

"I think you just have a misconception of the type of pajamas normal people wear." Ajiyama said, splayed out over a couple of seats with her head back and eyes closed, as if she were ready to fall asleep then and there.

"Regardless, if anyone dares attempt to lay a finger on you, they will lose it." Rukiro said, taking a ready stance.

"What exactly does 'it' refer to?" Toshima asked.

With a bit more banter, the Meeting Hall filled up before any of us could notice, and nearly immediately, monokuma arrived on stage again, without warning. I felt my heart jump out of my chest, though when I looked down to check, it still seemed to be safe inside.

"I see everyone's having fun." He cooed. "But don't get too worked up before bedtime! Let's all get nice and settled down with a new story from the shelf! Let's see, today, I'll read to you all... hmmmm.... aha! 'The Lonely Mermaid'."

"Isn't it supposed to be 'the _Little_ Mermaid?" Tomiko asked.

"I told you already that my stories are original!" Monokuma pouted. "And don't get me confused with some other company making money grubbing rip-offs of classic fairytales! I'm a bear, not a mouse!"

"Get on with it!" Iyakami prompted.

"Was planning on it, wise guy! Anyways." Monokuma cleared his throat. "Once upon a time, wait, never mind, that's not how this one starts. Let me try that again."

"In the middle of the ocean, far underwater, there lived a young mermaid. This young mermaid was tough and beautiful, but most of all she was intelligent. After all, that was what everyone told her.

"For as long as she could remember, everyone always told the young mermaid of her gifts. They provided her all resources she might ever need to study whatever she wished, and praised her no matter what she did.

"But more than making her feel encouraged, all of their actions made the mermaid feel isolated, and pressured to succeed. She felt she had to do everything right, but she had no idea whether what she was doing was right or wrong, because the reaction was always the same.

"And so, the mermaid grew even more separated from her peers. She ran away from it all, abandoning all her previous work, forever feeling she could never do enough. She fled from her responsibilities, swimming as far as she could.

"That was when she found it. Her inspiration, her muse. The mermaid had stumbled upon a shore, and on that shore, there were humans.

"Humanity interested the mermaid to no end, so she began studying them. She learned of their actions, their societies, and of how they reacted to their environment. Eventually, she learned enough to travel on land herself, and walk among them. She had never been happier than she was living and interacting with the new and exciting cultures around her.

"But the mermaid still felt a disconnect. A notion bred into her, that she was different from those around her. The mermaid knew of only one way to make herself match the humans she adored completely.

"And so, one night, the mermaid set to clipping all of the scales off her tail, and dividing it in two, thereby allowing herself to walk among humans, but denying her true self.

"But the feeling never left the mermaid, and even then, when she thought she had found everything she wanted, she still felt like a stranger among the humans. And there, she felt more lonely than she ever was in the ocean."

It was the thud of monokuma closing the book that made me realize it had ended, and on such a solemn note. I felt sad for the mermaid, though I couldn't possibly imagine what the meaning of the story was.

"Well!" Monokuma said, in a jarring tone. "Off to bed with all of you!"

Everyone quickly stood up and started towards the exit with that little bit of prompting. On my way out, I spotted Komori being led by Keina. Her face looked pale and her eyes dull. I jogged over, but she only looked worse up close.

"Komori-chan." I said, managing to catch both of their attentions. "Are you alright?"

"..." She didn't respond other than a blank stare.

"Physically, she's improved faster than I expected." Keina spoke up. "But I can't say or do much for her mental state. I'm a surgeon, not a therapist, so processes of the mind are entirely out of my element."

"Why did you bring her?" I asked. "Wouldn't it be better for her to rest?"

"She insisted on coming." Keina said. "Wouldn't take no for an answer. I guess it was a good idea, I wouldn't want her getting in trouble with monokuma."

"Kat-chan...." Komori mumbled under her breath, trailing off into something unintelligible.

"I'll keep track of her, don't worry." Keina said. "You rest up yourself, one patient is enough for me to handle."

I nodded, and went off ahead and back to my room. I had a few things to think about before I went to sleep.

"Greetings students! This is the Hope's Peak water dome executive committee! Speaking to wish you a good night's sleep! Goodnight! Sleep tight! Don't let the piranhas bite!"

~

<Monokuma Theater 6>

"Love is an incredibly petty motivation. Whenever someone says, 'I did it for love!', they expect us to see it as some profound reason beyond our understanding, but they're basically saying they did it because of some chemicals in their brain. It's the same as if they said, 'I did it because I was angry,' or 'I did it because I was sad! But those reasons aren't poetic at all! It's baffling how some sets of synapses firing are considered so much more important than others. Love is all fake, anyways, so I guess it doesn't matter."

~

"Gooood morning everyone! This is the Hope's Peak water dome executive committee wishing you the best of days! Just remember it's better down where it's wetter!"

I felt extra drowsy today, but I still headed off to breakfast. Partway through eating, Keina showed up, then left taking two dishes with her, just as she had last night. I silently wished her luck getting Komori to eat.

After breakfast I headed back to my room for a breather, but I couldn't stay there forever.

I decided to go to the Library, since a good book would last a while, and if I were ever luckier, I would find someone to talk to.

I wasn't sure if I was lucky or not when I found Minagami waiting there, Rukiro standing next to the chair she reclined in.

"Ah, Honrei-san." She said, sounding somewhat bored. "Perhaps you'd like to stay and chat for a spell?"

"Sure." I replied.

"Great." She smiled. "Nori, dear, find us something to drink. Something cold, but that doesn't gather condensation. I would hate to cause harm to this lovely hardwood table by allowing it to come into contact with something damp."

She patted the table in front of her, and Rukiro ran off, presumably to fulfil her request. I sat down in the chair across from her.

"Isn't that basically an impossible task?" I asked. "I can't think of a single way to make a drink like that."

"That's the point, Honrei-san." She sighed, and her tone sounded radically different from usual. "He'll be gone for a while, and now I don't have to deal with him hovering over me. Thanks for showing up."

"Right..." I said. "But Minagami, isn't that a bit mean? I thought you two were supposed to be in love, or something, like that..."

"Snrk," Minagami snorted. "Bahahahaha!" Then proceeded to burst out laughing. "Sure, yeah, he's positively enamored with me! Complete infatuation! But you're a fool if you think _I_ feel the same."

"That's... kind of cruel..." I muttered.

"Is it?" Minagami deadpanned. "I mean, it's not _my_ fault our situation is like this."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"From the moment I was born my parents were using me as a pawn." She said. "Betrothing me to Nori was a business deal. If I get an unfaltering servant out of it, then who am I to complain, at least when he's around. I wouldn't want to do that disservice to myself."

"Is that... really how you think of him?" I asked.

"What else is there to him?" She countered. "It's even what he's known for, serving others. There's barely anything else of note about him. At least _I'm_ more characterized. I have an actual background to speak of, as ordinary as it may be."

"I don't think, anything, about your life is ordinary." I said.

"Oh, no need to flatter." She laughed. "However, if there exists anyone not born into a prestigious line of business people, and given numerous assets to manage, such as an entire town to run on their own as practice, from a young age, then I see no point in interacting with them."

"That's a joke, right?" I asked.

"Is it?" She replied. "The current state of society is the real joke. The streets run wild with degenerates who believe such ridiculous things as that someone may change their gender on a whim, people who would rather grovel and beg for money than get off their ass and earn it themselves like the rest of us."

"Minagami-san-" I started, wincing somewhat at her tangent.

"Whatever is it? Do you wish to contribute, or simply refute the truth?"

I definitely did _not_ want to accept all she said as truth, but I didn't have a strong enough voice to argue with her on this. Without me saying anything, she continued.

"Each person is born, dealt their own lot in life, a role they must play. Those who attempt rebellion against those roles are the ones who suffer. If someone is unhappy with their role, then they may die, and hope for a better lot the next time around. All odds are no one wants them around, anyways."

"Then, your opinion of this killing game would be?" I asked.

"A smaller portion of the jest that constitutes human life." She said, quickly. "Those of us who die here were never strong enough to begin with. Their deaths will only benefit the world as a whole."

I paused for a moment, unsure of what to think of all she was saying. It was all so cruel, and unforgiving. I had known Minagami to be haughty already, but was this really the reason behind her actions? I didn't really want to acknowledge someone could be so awful.

"My whole life, I have been a pawn." She said, voice as clear as always. "One day, I will reach the end of the board, and become a queen, and at that point, anyone in my way will be powerless to stop me."

"I don't think that's how chess works." I said. "I mean, the pawn becoming a queen is right, but the queen isn't very hard to take out, and often it's sacrificed for the sake of a better play."

"You're missing the point, Honrei." She quipped. "The idea is that all of this is a game, but one I will win. All else be damned. Regardless, Nori will return soon to report his failure. It is no longer necessary for you to be here."

Finally having an excuse, I was quick to flee, leaving the Library and returning to my room in the Dorm House. However, there was still a lot of time left in the day, so after a bit of rest, I headed out again.

On my way out of the Building, I found Rukiro idling by the door to the dining room. I decided to stop and talk to him.

"Ah, Honrei-san, what might I ask are you up to?" He asked. "Are you available to speak for a while?"

"That's be great." I said. "Did something happen? I didn't think you'd be the one approaching me to talk?"

"Well, if you must know," he folded his arms over one another nervously. "Sachi has become cross with me, and requested quite a bit of time alone."

"So, you get a break, right?" I said. "What do you want to do with your time off."

"That is my dilemma." He said. "I am not accustomed to having this much time to myself. As a result, I have a request to make of you, Honrei-san."

"Sure, anything." I said.

"Please tell me what to do!" Very suddenly, Rukiro bent at the waist, into a deep bow. "It may be an act of infidelity to Sachi as my master, but so long as what you require does not cross the line into any sexual acts-"

"Whoa, whoa, wait a second!" I said, stepping away just a bit.

"Did I overstep my bounds?" He asked, straightening back up.

"A little, yeah," I said. "But it's okay, it's fine, really. I'm just not personally comfortable ordering someone around like that."

"Not even if asked to do so?"

"No, that doesn't really help." I said.

"Then, what about asking me a favor, as a friend?" He suggested. "Would that be okay? Would this be a solution that would not make you uncomfortable?"

He was talking a bit hurriedly, emphatically, with a desperate tone to his voice. It was difficult to completely turn him down when he looked so anxious over it, but, something seemed a lot more important than getting a free cooking lesson.

"Rukiro-kun," I said.

"Yes, what is it?" He said, with an anticipatory tone.

"Are you alright?" I asked. His face twisted into a frown.

"What do you mean?" He brows furrowed. "Physically, my health is above satisfactory, I have a stable diet and sleep schedule-"

"That's not what I mean." I said, interrupting.

"What might you mean to imply, then?" He asked, shifting uncomfortably.

"Like, isn't it not really normal to ask people to order you around?" I said.

"Is it?" He replied. "I suppose, this might be truthful. I apologize to be imposing on you, Honrei-san."

"You don't really, _have_ to apologize." I said. "I'm just, you know, worried about you."

"I do not understand."

"I care about your wellbeing, Rukiro-kun."

" _Why_?"

I paused for a second. That was a question that I completely lacked an answer to. I had to think carefully for a good response, one that would sound genuine.

"Why are you opposed to the idea of someone caring for you?" I ended up countering. "It's not entirely unusual for someone to genuinely be wishing you well, or at least it shouldn't be."

Rukiro created another long pause in response.

"Does my thought process offend you?" He asked. "I solely act out of experience. Oftentimes others have, not meant well for me, even if they claimed so."

"Then why are you asking me to give you orders?" I asked. "Wouldn't it be easier to take advantage of you like that?"

"That's-" for a moment, he looked shocked, then shifted to something more bothered. "It was a display of trust, Honrei-san."

"Couldn't someone you trusted betray you even easier?"

"Do you intend to make me doubt you?" He asked, and his eyes betrayed a bit of sadness.

"That's not what I mean at all!" I said, a bit rushed.

"Then what do you mean?!" Rukiro's tone suddenly changed from his usual detached monotone to something obviously upset. "I will admit, first of all, that I lack experience interacting with my peers, yet you consistently ask of me to understand intricacies I have never had to interpret before now! I am, truly, making my best effort, Honrei-san."

"I'm," I felt my own voice crack. "I'm not that good at interacting with people either, Rukiro-kun."

"You seem much more skilled-"

"But I'm not." I said. "All of what you see me doing, I'm just mimicking other people, and that only comes from my experiences, and years of learning and teaching myself how to say things right and follow social scripts, so I don't even know how to start as far as giving you advice goes."

"That's, not very helpful."

"It's not entirely meant to be." I continued. "But, when you do things like asking me to tell you what to do, the only reason I react badly to it is because _I_ don't have experience. I've never really had people serving me, and the situation made me uncomfortable."

"That was never my intention." He said.

"And I didn't mean to make you upset either." I said, then broke into a little bit of a laugh. "But we're both really, really bad at this."

"Why are you laughing?" He asked.

"I'm, not sure." I said, still snickering. "Listen, if you'd like to make some tea, _together_ , then I'd enjoy that."

"I would as well." He said, nodding slightly. The two of us headed to the kitchen, and with a bit more laughter to break up the awkward silences, we were finally able to relax around each other. I think we grew a little closer.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Update November 24


	13. Chapter Two: Paint the Town Pink: Daily Life- Part Five

After finishing up talking to Rukiro, I went back to my room. Then after dinner, I returned again, and changed, preparing for the third day of the strange bedtime stories motive.

I ended up heading out early, and heard the speakers along the way. They were interspersed along the path, so the sound faded in and out as I walked along.

"Attention! Sweet children, the time for rest draws near. Please gather at the Meeting Hall so that I may lull you away to dream land."

The message cut off, and after arriving I found myself the first person inside the Meeting Hall. I waited in one of the chairs until everyone else, and then monokuma, showed up.

"Good evening, lovelies." Monokuma cooed. Iyakami clicked his tongue in the background, loud enough for me, a full two rows of seats in front of him, to hear. "I'm sure you all just cannot wait for tonight's story. I already have one selected for tonight, let me just find it..."

As monokuma ran his paw along the shelf, I swallowed a lump in my throat. Nobody had acted so far in two days of this, so scientifically, things should have remained fine, but I couldn't help worrying.

"Ah, here we are, 'The Princess's Perfect Life." He said.

"Another story about a princess?" Mizuki said, with a somewhat intimidating expression. "Mizuki-kun is getting bored, Kuma-chan."

"You could always kill someone, so you don't have to hear more~!" Monokuma said. "Anyways, let me begin."

"Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there existed a very prosperous kingdom. The ruling family had reigned with grace for generations, providing sage homes for all the peasants and serfs on their property, so long as they contributed to the improvement of the kingdom.

"Into this ruling family was born a princess. She was more beautiful and fair than any in the land, and her parents, as well as all the commoners, adored her.

"As the princess grew, the kingdom came upon a rival, however the king and queen recognized that because of the rival kingdom’s differing resources, more could be gained from a peaceful merging than from conquest.

"And so, the king and queen, tears in their eyes, sent the beautiful princess off to the rival kingdom to marry the crown prince, creating a unified kingdom, twice as large, and twice as powerful.

"Time passed, and the princess grew older, as did her prince. The princess learned all there was to ruling a kingdom, and the prince learned all he needed to stay by her side. When the princess came of age, she was made to take part in tradition, and sent out to rule a small portion of the kingdom, as practical experience.

"The princess excelled beyond any expectations at the given task, and by her own power, expanded her territory.

"No matter what the princess did, she did it perfectly, and was rewarded adamantly. Nothing ever went wrong in her life, and she had everything she could ever want.

"And so, the princess lived happily ever after."

Monokuma bowed as he finished the story.

"Ha!" Mizuki scoffed. "You call _that_ a story? There was no conflict, there wasn't even a plot."

"That's just how it is sometimes, though, isn't it?" Monokuma said, tilting his head. "I pride myself on realism before anything else. Besides, isn't a boring story better for calming down into sleep? Either way, it's time for you all to leave. Get out!"

I didn't get much of a chance to interpret any reactions to the story as I left, but I couldn't help feeling that it sounded familiar somehow. I decided not to dwell on it, and went back to my room to sleep.

"Greetings students! This is the Hope's Peak water dome executive committee speaking to wish you a good night's sleep! Goodnight! Sleep tight! Don't let the piranhas bite!"

~

<Monokuma Theater 7>

"Take a moment to realize that your experiences are not universal. Everyone you meet on the street has a different life story. Aside from causing a bit of a crisis when you realize that, it can be a bit enlightening too. If you take it that everyone around you has different experiences, it makes sense that we all act differently too, and that things affect people differently. Something that may not be a big deal for you, could be world ending for someone else. I'm not saying you have to take this into account every time you do anything, but it's definitely weird to think about, right?"

~

"Gooood morning everyone! This is the Hope's Peak water dome executive committee wishing you the best of days! Just remember it's better down where it's wetter!"

I woke up a bit surprised that everything seemed to be fine, but happy nonetheless. After an uneventful breakfast with everyone, I headed out again to find someone to talk to.

Walking around, I ended up by the large locked door when I found Ajiyama, sitting on a bench there, looking thoughtful. I decided to sit down next to her.

"Oh, hey, Honrei-chan," She said, smiling towards me. "Wanna chat?"

"Yeah, that sounds good." I said.

"Great!" She replied. "I was thinking actually, Honrei-chan, about Hope's Peak."

"This isn't about my talent is it?" I asked.

"Nope! Mine, actually!" She said. "Well, mine, and my brother's, and my sister's."

"You mean you were all-"

"Yup! Hope's Peak students!" She beamed. "We were a bit of an over achieving type of family."

"I'll say."

"For sure!" She laughed. "You already know my talent, right?"

<Choice>

"Super High School Level Academic"

"Super High School Level Anthropologist"

"Super High School Level Arthropodologist"

\---

**Super High School Level Anthropologist**

<END>

"You're the Super High School Level Anthropologist." I said.

"Exactly." She said. "And you know, at least basically, what that is, the study of the interaction of people with each other and their environments throughout time. It's basically the fun part of history."

"So there _is_ a fun part." I joked.

" _Ha ha_." She laughed sarcastically. "Jokes aside, I've been thinking about the reason I got into anthropology."

"What would that be?" I asked.

"Probably because of my brother and sister." She said. "They were amazing, I knew they'd do great things, ever since I was a kid, but our parents, they were a little weird-"

"They didn't do anything bad to you, did they?" I asked quickly.

"No no, nothing like that." Ajiyama said, with a little bit of a laugh. "They never hurt me, but they were business people, really, and they kind of prioritized that over being parents. They went on trips a lot, and even when they started leaving Tsuneo and Masuyo home, they'd still take me with them, draggin me all over Japan."

"That sounds like a troublesome childhood." I said.

"A little, I guess." She said. "I never really minded it, maybe I was just used to it, but I kind of found myself wanting more of a connection to my siblings. So, what do you think their Super High School Leve talents were?"

"I honestly have no idea." I sighed.

"That's okay!" She smiled. "I just wanted to check if you might have Super High School Level Good Luck at guessing!" She giggled. "Anyways, Masuyo's the Super High School Level Sociologist, and Tsuneo's the Super High School Level Psychologist. Together the three of us make up three major schools for the study of human thought and motivation."

"That's quite the family tradition." I laughed.

"That's the thing, you know?" She said. "There's not really a family history, even in the broader category of social sciences. I dunno why Tsuneo and Masuyo got into it, but I guess one of the reasons I was drawn to anthropology was because of them. I was so excited when I got my Hope's Peak acceptance letter for the same reason."

"That actually sounds like an interesting story." I said, pushing the conversation in a different direction, but still forwards.

"Does it?" She asked, looking surprised. "It wasn't that special, I guess. I got invited to skip my third year of middle school to enroll in Hope's Peak a year behind my siblings-"

"Whoa, what!" I stopped her, a bit dramatically. "I didn't even know that was possible! How smart _are_ you, Ajiyama-chan?"

"Haha, thanks." She grinned. "It really shouldn't have been possible, but I guess they wanted to put a rush on getting me in for some reason. Legally, I think they couldn't pull it off until I was 15, so I was supposed to transfer in after Summer Break, but I was still gonna go to the entrance ceremony and all that."

"Hope's Peak really is all powerful." I sighed, hanging my head. Even once I figured out my own talent, I still wouldn't be as great as Ajiyama. "Why'd they want you so bad, anyways?"

"Dunno," she said, nonchalantly. "Apparently I used the data from a couple other researchers' findings to create a unified theory concerning the evolutions of an aspect of a certain ancient civilization and how all that created a modern concept of... something. And if worked well in conjunction with a lot of other people's ideas, I guess?"

"Why do you sound so unsure?" I asked.

"I can't say I know why." She pouted. "It's like every time I try to think about that in specific all the information just pops out of my head. I can't really get any of it. It's frustrating."

"Do you have any idea why?"

"No, nothing." She whined. "But, it's like what you say, right? If it's important, I'll remember it, I can't let this get in the way of my life. That'd be lame."

"Take care of yourself, too, though." I said.

"Yeah of course." She said. "Oh, by the way, about Hope's Peak."

"Mhm?" I replied. We spent a while after that chatting about Hope's Peak fun facts.

After finishing up talking to Ajiyama, I headed back to eat lunch, only to end up going back out right after.

This time I ended up going back to the bar, which was mostly empty, aside from Toshima, who was behind the counter, messing with the nozzles on the taps. I walked up right as he managed to spray himself in the face with a torrent of cream soda. I sidled up and sat on a bar stool across from him.

"Please don't tell me you're going to make fun of me for that." He said, looking utterly and completely disappointed with himself. I stifled a laugh.

"So," I said. "What are you up to?"

"Ignoring it doesn't make me feel any better, Honrei-san." He sighed. "But, I'm just trying to find something interesting to do, I suppose. Give me a second to dry off and we can talk, maybe?"

"Sure." I said. Toshima walked away, sticking his head under the bar sink, and letting it run some, then walked over and sat next to me while still in the process of patting his hair somewhat dry. He seemed especially careful of the rat tail that dragged along his shoulder. I tried not to think about that too much.

"So, Toffee-kun," I said.

"Aw come on, don't tell me you're gonna start that too." He sighed. "Or am I gonna have to call you Squirrel-chan?" I snickered.

"Honrei is fine." I said.

"Glad to know you're doing okay!" He laughed.

"Come on," I sighed in turn. "What'd you want to talk about, anyways?"

"Not sure!" He laughed again. "You seem like such a good conversationalist that I didn't think I'd have to think of anything."

"Shoving it all off on me, are you?" I said. "Fine then. You absolutely have to tell me an embarrassing story for all this grief."

"Does it have to be about me?" He asked.

"Yes." I said. He sighed again.

"Well then, Honrei-san." He furrowed his brow in an expression of extreme concentration. "Did you know that exactly five of my teeth are fake?"

"Whoa, really?"

"Yeah, from back before I was smart enough to remember to wear a mouth guard." He smiled really wide, and if I squinted I might've been able to tell the difference, but I didn't know what to look for. "And if I move one of them just a little-"

Toshima closed his mouth and looked like he was chewing gum for a second, then emitted a very loud whistle sound. I winced and covered my ears.

"Oh shit!" He stopped almost instantly, and looked a bit panicked. "Was that too loud? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I said, with a little difficulty. My ears were ringing. "I tend to be a little more sensitive to sound than most people, so I'm used to things like this."

"I didn't even realize." He said. "I'm sorry, Honrei-san. I guess it makes sense how you're always careful around the kitchen door. That thing _is_ kind of loud."

"Yeah, you noticed?" I said.

"A little, but I didn't really think about it." He said. "I'll try to be more careful about it if I remember."

"That's really considerate of you." I said.

"Well of course." He said. "The way I see it, we're all teammates here in this situation, and you always gotta watch out for your team. You can't pull off a good play with a single person."

"That's a good way to think about it." I said.

"Really? Thanks!" He said. "People tell me I can tend to go a little overboard with hockey metaphors, so I'm glad you appreciated that one, at least."

"It's good that you have something to be passionate about." I said. "Don't let anyone ever get you down, Toshima-kun!"

"I try not to!" He laughed. "Hey, Honrei-san, did you ever play any sports? Not to the level of like, a Super High School Level talent, but just as a hobby."

"I never did much outside of gym class." I said, laughing a little nervously. "I liked tennis, and volleyball, but not enough to join the teams."

"Volleyball! That's a good team sport, and tennis, doubles at least, you have to have good communication." He grinned, looking a bit proud. "But gosh, what do you even do with all that time after school if you aren't on a sports team?"

"Well, uh," I muttered. "I don't exactly, remember, you know?"

"Oh heck!" He fell back dramatically, but regained his balance before the stool toppled over. "Sorry, that was real insensitive of me, huh?"

"It's okay!" I said. "I'm outnumbered seven to one on having talents here, so it makes sense you'd get used to talking about it casually. I don't mind."

"You're really nice, I still can't get over how nice you are." He said. "Dinner should be soon, though, right? You have to remember to eat well to grow up strong!"

"No wonder you're so huge." I laughed.

"You know it!" He smiled. "Come on, let's get going!"

I walked back to the Dorm House with Toshima, and people were already gathering to eat. I made myself comfortable chatting with people, when I saw something shocking out of the corner of my eye.

"Komori-san!" Keina shouted, from where she was seated waiting for to go meals. I was looking in the same direction, watching how Komori shuffled into the room and sat down.

"Hey guys," she mumbled.

"I thought you were asleep!" Keina said, stumbling over herself. "You really should be resting."

"I felt better." Komori said. "I'm doing better, in general, I think. And I needed to get out, and talk to people. I'm not gonna, move on, if I spend all my time alone and wallowing."

"Y-you're, uh, being r-really mature about, w-whatever, um, happened." Nishimura said.

"I gotta be." Komori said, still quiet. "It's a tough world out there, and I'm not gonna let myself be left behind."

"But wait-" Keina said. "What about your physical state? I really should've done an exam before you were cleared to leave our rooms."

"I'm _fine_ , Keina-chan." Komori said. "I'm a tough grl, and even tho I'm still a lil weak, I can handle myself just fine. I've had worse b4."

"That's even more worrying." Keina said. "But I really can't stop you?"

"No way. I'm back and kicking!" Komori said. "You all would obviously be lost without me! I'm the life of the party!"

"If this situation can be called a party." Ryouta mumbled.

Komori squeezed herself into a seat, and dinner continued without incident. I went back to my room to get ready.

I was already dressed in pajamas and in the meeting hall by the time monokuma called all of us there, and I wasn't the only one. There wasn't much else to do except show up early.

"You know, you all are no fun," monokuma said, popping up in the usual spot. "What's the point of trying to send out helpful messages if you all are already here ahead of time?"

"Maybe we just wanted to minimize hearing your voice." Toshima said.

"How rude! You all really have no respect!" Monokuma said. "Just for that I'm gonna be extra special choosing the story I read today."

"Fabulous." Minagami said, sarcastic.

"You betcha!" Monokuma said. "Tonight's bedtime story is called 'The Beautiful Knight in the Dragon's Cave'."

"I prefer Sir Arthur and the Dragonet myself." Ajiyama said. Monokuma continued without acknowledging her.

"There once was a beautiful knight. Her beauty surpassed that of all the fairest maidens, and she didn't even put as much time towards it! Very unfair. The knight was also a skilled warrior, with nary a dent on her well-worn armor.

"Because of her exceptional skills, the knight was asked to come to a kingdom, and accept a quest from the rulers to slay a dragon in a nearby cave, who had already captured a fair share of maidens and heroes.

"The knight accepted, and was told of how terrifying the dragon was, and how bloody and cruel the lair would be, but the knight was brave, and she continued without hesitation.

"After a short and safe journey, the knight reached the cave, only to find the dragon everyone feared was actually running a splendiferous retreat, with all the amenities, even indoor plumbing!

"All of the lost maidens and heroes had remained of their own volition, the knight discovered, and so instead of slaying the dragon, the knight joined the dragon's forced, and became the leader of a rebellion which torched the kingdom and set down a new world order! The End."

"That was short." Yanagi said.

"Well not every story has to be long and complicated." Monokuma said. "Sometimes a short one is okay too."

"That's not fair." Gendou mumbled.

"How isn't it? If you want a better story, then write it yourself! Monokuma cackled. "Now off to bed with the lot of you, I've got to rest up, so I can tell another great story tomorrow! See ya later."

"Well, this has all been quite the boring endeavor." Minagami yawned, covering her mouth with her hand. "Pointless, but I suppose that changes nothing. Until tomorrow."

Rukiro nodded, and followed her out the door silently.

"I think I'll be leaving too." Toshima said. "See you tomorrow, everybody."

"Tomorrow." Ajiyama said, softly. I took her back to our rooms, making sure she was okay, and then I went to bed myself. I couldn't help feeling something was wrong.

"Greetings students! This is the Hope's Peak water dome executive committee speaking to wish you a good night's sleep! Goodnight! Sleep tight! Don't let the piranhas bite!"

~

<Monokuma Theater 8>

"Here's a classic fairytale, or nursery rhyme, or whatever, that I always thought was interesting. 'Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after.' First of all, they both died! Why do so many nursery rhymes involve death? And also, shouldn't those two be getting water often enough that they know how to avoid falling and dying? How clumsy are they? There are just too many inconsistencies!"

~

"Gooood morning everyone! This is the Hope's Peak water dome executive committee wishing you the best of days! Just remember it's better down where it's wetter!"

I rolled out of bed, incredibly lethargic, and stumbled to the bathroom. After getting ready as quickly as possible, I headed straight to the dining hall. I felt like if I slowed down at all I would stop completely.

Breakfast was the same as always, small chat while we waited for people to show up, and then all eating whatever food had been prepared together. But everything felt a little quiet.

"So, where're Minagami-san and Rukiro-san?" Komori said, mouth full of rice. "They stop showin' up to breakfast while I was out of commission?"

"N-no, they should be here." Nishimura said. "They weren't in Minagami-san's room this morning, so I assumed they were in Rukiro-san's."

"You're kidding!" Toshima said. "I thought the opposite!"

"Wait, so, they're missing?" Keina said.

"I don't have a good feeling about this." Ajiyama said.

"Should we send out a search party?" Ryouta asked.

"I'll go." I said, only realizing what I was saying after the words had left my mouth.

"I will travel with you." Iyakami said, adjusting his sleeves. "We will need someone with good rationale if the worst is to happen."

"I'm too worried to be annoyed with you right now." Ajiyama said. "Just go. The rest of us will stay here in case they're just late."

I gave a curt nod, and headed out the door, Iyakami hot on my tail. We didn't run, but we walked quickly, and I spoke in a rushed tone.

"Where do we look?" I asked. "They both seemed to like the library, so maybe-"

"We should go to the bar, on the inner circle." He said.

"Huh? Why?"

"No time to explain, just hurry!" Once finished with the statement, he rushed on ahead of me, and I had no choice but to follow, all the way to the inner circle and then the bar. I really wasn't entirely prepared to open the door and see what was there.

Minagami

and Rukiro lay on the ground, unmoving.

END Chapter 2 Daily Life

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next update should be on December 8th.


	14. Chapter Two: Paint the Town Pink: Deadly Life

I stood shocked for a few minutes, still taking in what was in front of me. That of course being, not one, but two bodies. Iyakami remained by my side, in an attempt at comfort by solidarity. I was shocked out of my stupor by the sound of footsteps behind me.

"Hello? Are you two alright?" I recognized it as Tomiko's voice.

"Y-you w-were t-taking a l-long t-t-time to come back," Gendou was with her, apparently, and he sounded a few steps ahead of her, closer. "So, I-I-aiyeeeee!"

Gendou jumped back as soon as he saw beyond us. Moments later Tomiko froze, breathing quickening.

"A body has been discovered! After a brief period of investigation, the Class Trial will commence!"

"So, that means, they're-" I started.

"Dead." Iyakami finished.

"I sh-sh-should g-go g-g-get the o-others," Gendou said. "Th-that's what I should d-d-do, right?"

"Yeah, I'll... go with you." Tomiko said. "If that's okay?"

"Yes. Go do that." Iyakami said. He seemed fine, all things considered. Gendou and Tomiko rushed off, and were back sooner than expected, with everyone else behind them.

"Holy crap," Ajiyama mumbled.

Deciding that I had stood in the doorway long enough, I led the way for everyone to file into the building. It felt like every last one of us was shocked, and we all stood, without saying anything.

I was about to speak up and start moving when I heard a groan coming from the side of the room where Rukiro's body lay. I turned that way, only to see a horribly disconcerting sight.

"Is that a ghost?!" Komori shrieked. "Or, no, a zombie! A ghoul? What's going on here?!"

"Why are you all shouting?" Rukiro grumbled. "I've got a splitting headache, can you quiet down?"

"No way we can do that!" Tomiko shouted. "You're supposed to be dead!"

"I am supposed to be _what_ , now?" Rukiro faltered, finally opening his eyes, then snapping to a shock. He dashed across the room, knocking over whatever tables or people were in his way. Gendou quickly up-righted the furniture, on a nervous impulse. "Sachi... no... this can't be possible..." Rukiro fell to the ground on his knees, arms limp.

"You really shouldn't be moving around while bleeding like that, Rukiro-san." Keina said. "Come on, let me treat your-"

"No!" Rukiro shouted, causing us all to stumble back. "I have, failed. I did not complete my sole and most important mission! I may as well die! There's no point to remaining here!"

The sound of Keina slapping Rukiro rang in my ears before I even saw it happening.

"Don't be a goddamned idiot!" She shouted. Rukiro looked taken aback, and I felt the same. "Nothing will be solved by you letting yourself die! If you fail to protect someone important to you, then you have to work harder to make it up to them! Do you think she would be made happy by you just giving up?! You have to keep on living! So just, shut up and let me bandage your wounds!"

Keina was breathing a bit heavily once she finished going off, and Rukiro looked shocked for a few seconds longer, then swallowed, gaining a stern expression.

"I... I understand." He said. "Or, perhaps I do not, but I will make an effort to follow your advice." A few tears still brimmed at Rukiro's eyes, but he wiped them away. "What would you have me to do?"

"We need two people to guard the body." Iyakami said. "If Keina is busy treating Rukiro, we cannot expect her to keep a steady watch."

"I'll, also need someone to get me some supplies." Keina said, removing her outer shirt and scrunching it up, then pressing it against Rukiro's head. "Use this to apply pressure for now... I'll need bandages and disinfectant, at the least."

"Well, uh, I think I did alright guarding the body last time," Toshima said. "So, I'll just stick with what I'm good at."

"I'll help as well." Ryouta said, moving to stand next to Minagami's corpse.

"And I'll go get the supplies." Komori said. "I've seen enough of your room the past few days, Keina-san, so it shouldn't be too hard."

"We have our bases covered, then." Tomiko said. "Alright, let's move out!"

[Investigation Start]

I thought I should start by talking to Ajiyama, but she approached me before I could even think to come to her.

"Hey, Honrei-chan." She said, speaking in a tone that was just between us.

"Hello, Ajiyama-chan." I replied. "So, where do you think we should start our investigation this time?"

"About that," she said. "I've got something else I want to look at this time, and I don't want to hinder your investigation here, sooo..." She jumped into a little pose with a V-sign. "Let's split up for now. I'll see you again before the trial."

"Oh,... alright." I said, doing nothing but watch with a small wave as Ajiyama left the bar.

I stood, just a little shocked, for a few moments. I'd have to decide what to do next on my own, which was a bit intimidating, but no doubt I could handle it, probably.

"Honrei-san." I jumped, nearly knocking over a nearby table when Yanagi came up behind me. "Ah, sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's fine." I said, settling my own heartbeat down. "What did you want?"

"It's better to investigate in pairs." He said. "A spare set of eyes will let you notice things you wouldn't otherwise. If you'd like, we could work together?"

"That'd be great." I sighed in relief. "If you're sure. "

"Definitely." He replied, with a soft sort of smile.

"We should probably start by looking at the monokuma file." I said.

"That does sound like a good place to start." Yanagi replied. I brought out my eHandbook, clicking through the tabs to access the file.

"<Monokuma File 2>

The victim was Minagami Sachi. She was killed a short time after midnight. The victim's skull was shattered fatally by repeated force. Pre-fatal blunt force trauma was dealt by a cylindrical object. The victim suffered multiple minor contusions shortly before death."

"Contusions are... bruises, right?" I asked aloud.

"Yeah." Yanagi said. "We'll ask for more information about the body from Keina later."

[Monokuma File 2 has been added to the truth bullets]

"Sounds good." I said. "Where to next?"

"Right around here sounds good." He said. "There's plenty of things on-scene to look at."

"Alright." I nodded. During the course of my conversations and monokuma file inspection Komori had managed to somehow already have returned with the supplies for Keina. I decided to check on her and Rukiro.

"So, uh,... how are you feeling?" I asked once I was nearer to the two of them.

"Absolutely dreadful." Rukiro said. "But... Keina-san was right, I have to keep working anyways, for Sachi's sake."

"I get that this is a dramatic moment." Keina said. "But can you try not to move around so much while talking? I don't want to slip and hurt you more by accident."

"Ah, right." Rukiro said, sitting stock straight. "Did you need something, Honrei-san? I cannot do much in my current state, but I will make an attempt."

"I just wanted to ask if you remembered anything." I said. "Whatever, you know, it'll help a lot."

"Oh, well." Rukiro said. "I am afraid my abilities may be lacking in that department."

"So, you don't remember anything?" Yanagi asked.

"Well, I have retained most of my recollection, but I cannot imagine it being too useful."

"Tell us anyways." Yanagi said. "You never know."

"Alright." Rukiro replied with a nod. Keina sighed in the background. "Last night, with ample time prior to the nighttime announcement, Sachi pulled me aside to request my attendance for a meeting. I was not present for the invitation, so I imagine it happened while we were separated. The rendezvous was scheduled for midnight, at this location, however Sachi did not explain any further details to me."

"She probably wanted a body guard if she was asked to meet so late at night." Yanagi said.

"I would think the same." Rukiro said. "Though, I cannot presume that the other party desired or approved of my presence."

"Ah, judging by this nasty blow I'd have to agree." Keina said.

"What happened next?" I prompted.

"We arrived to the meeting on time, to the second." Rukiro said. "As soon as I entered, however, I was stuck from behind and lost consciousness."

"Did you see who hit you at all?" Yanagi asked.

"I'm afraid I did not. At the very least, my memory is too unclear for me to be certain." Rukiro said. "I am sorry, I wish I could tell you more."

"What you've said is plenty. I said. "Thanks for your help."

[Rukiro's Account has been added to the truth bullets]

"Alright." Keina said. "I think I'm done. You're free to move around now."

"Thank you." Rukiro bowed slightly.

"Did you find out anything we might need to know?" Yanagi asked, towards Keina.

"Uh, maybe." Keina said, tilting her head in thought. "Rukiro-san was likely hit from behind by a cylindrical blunt object. There were small pieces of glass in the wound, and no signs of infection at all. Which is a little weird, I guess."

[Rukiro's Injury has been added to the truth bullets]

"Anything else?" Yanagi asked.

"Actually, yeah." Keina said. "If the head wound weren't enough, Rukiro-san also had a weird looking symbol that was carved into the back of his neck. It looked like it was cut using a piece of glass. Sorry if you wanted to see it yourself, but I actually already bandaged it up. I didn't want to leave him bleeding until someone else could see it."

"It's alright, Keina-san." I said. "We can take your word for it."

"Thanks." She smiled.

[Strange Neck Marking has been added to the truth bullets]

"Rukiro-san, will you be okay on your own?" Keina asked.

"Probably, yes." Rukiro said.

"Then I'm going to go over, and uh," Keina swallowed nervously. "Look at the body. You two," She turned to Yanagi and me. "You can check in later if you need to."

"Alright." I said, with a curt nod. Keina stepped away towards Minagami, and Yanagi and I decided to give Rukiro some space.

"Okay, what else is there around here?" I asked, rearing to go.

"Plenty." Yanagi said.

That's not. That helpful.

I decided on my own to check near the door, since that would be the place I was most likely to miss while running in. Very quickly I noticed a cluster of glass shards on the floor.

"Oh! This could be dangerous." I said. "We should sweep it up."

"Wait a moment." Yanagi said, before I could move forward. "Don't you think this might be evidence?"

He kneeled to the ground, looking closer at the mess.

"So, are you finding anything mister investigator?" I asked, leaning over Yanagi's shoulder.

"That's not my name. And yes." He said. "This isn't just regular broken glass."

" _Regular_ broken glass?"

He sighed.

"Anyways, these are all pieces from a bottle, judging by the curvature of the fragments. One of the pieces is also very clearly the un-broken neck of a bottle. The glass is all the same color, so I think it's safe to assume it's all one bottle. A lot of the pieces also have blood on them."

[Broken Bottle has been added to the truth bullets]

"Hmmm... well, why do you think it's here?" I asked.

"The clue for that will probably be nearby." Yanagi said. "Considering I can smell it."

Yanagi scrunched his nose up, looking upset by something. Now that I was thinking about it, I did smell something, but I usually tried to ignore smells, so they wouldn't bother me as much as if I focused on them.

"What smell is that?" I wondered aloud, sniffing the air a bit.

"Vodka." He said.

"Vodka?!" I nearly shouted.

"Glad your ears are working." Yanagi continued. "But yes, someone spilled vodka nearby."

"Why do you know what that smells like?" I asked.

"When Mizuki-kun and I investigated this area the first day it was open, he had me try more than just the taps." Yanagi turned a bit green at the thought, and I couldn't help feeling sorry for him. "It evaporates quickly, but the smell will stick around. So, I think we can safely say someone spilled some and it dried before they could clean it up, without us having to actually find any liquid."

[Dried Vodka Spill has been added to the truth bullets]

"So, wait, actually." I said. "You and Mizuki-kun would probably know a lot about the bar, if you searched it so thoroughly."

"Yes, I suppose so." He said. "Why?"

"I was just thinking, that might be good knowledge to have." I said. "Like, what if someone messed things up around here?"

"That's easy enough to notice without advance knowledge."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"This place is a mess."

"No, not really." I said. "Aside from the few Rukiro bumped, the tables are all where they should be, and so are the chairs."

"Hm... I suppose so." Yanagi said, looking thoughtful.

[Yanagi's Strange Feeling has been added to the truth bullets]

We both quieted down, stepping back away from the glass shards. We never did end up cleaning it up, I realized later.

Even though the room was mostly neat, there was something that caught my attention rather quickly still. Just a little ways from the door, there looked to be a smudge on the ground. I decided to inspect it closer, just in case.

"Yanagi-kun, do you know what this could be?" I asked. Whatever it was, it was bright green, nearly neon, and it had the vague outline of a puddle, but most of it had be wiped or scrubbed away.

"Why would _I_ know?" Yanagi replied. "It just looks like someone did an awful job of cleaning up their mess."

"I thought you might recognize it." I shrugged.

"I don't." He said.

"Well maybe it's related to the case." I suggested.

"If it were, wouldn't the person cleaning it have tried harder?" He asked.

"Maybe they were cleaning while it was dark?" I said. I rubbed my finger on part of the stain, to find neither it nor my hand having any change in color. "Or maybe it's just really hard to clean once it dries."

"Maybe?" Yanagi said.

[Green Stain has been added to the truth bullets]

Without much of a conclusion to the conversation, I stepped away from the stain, because I didn't think I would get much more information out of it.

There was one more thing I wanted to look at before checking up with Keina. I walked over to the bar, and then behind it, a view I hadn't really seen much before, but nonetheless.

"Why are we looking here?" Yanagi asked. "The bodies aren't anywhere near the counter."

"But there still might be evidence here." I said. I took a step back to look at things, but came up empty. "Actually, uh, Yanagi, do you see anything out of place? I don't know the area very well, so I'm having a bit of trouble."

"Yeah, there's something wrong." He said. I waited a few seconds for a response before realizing I'd have to prompt him more.

"And what is it?" I asked.

"Oh, right." He said. "The bottles on this lowest shelf, there's only nineteen."

"And there's supposed to be twenty, right?" I said, remembering the initial investigation.

"Right." He nodded. "But it looks like whoever took the missing bottle shifted the rest of them on the shelf, so they were still evenly spaced. Perhaps they thought no one would notice. Other than that, though, everything looks perfect."

[Alcohol Shelves has been added to the truth bullets]

"Thanks for your help." I smiled. Yanagi gave a curt nod in reply. He opened his mouth to speak, but before any words came out, I heard Keina behind me, and turned around.

"Hey, Honrei-san!" She called out, still near Minagami's body. "I'm done with my investigation, if you wanna come look."

Taking note of that, I finally approached Minagami's body. Before talking to Keina, I looked around a little myself, not at the body, but at the immediate vicinity.

"Hm?" I mumbled, mostly to myself, noticing something in the wall, above Minagami’s body. Well, noticing might've been a casual word, since it wasn't really a small thing that I was looking at. A few feet directly over Minagami's head, there was a sizeable dent in the wall, with pieces of brick broken or missing completely. Blood trailed down from it to her body.

[Wall Dent has been added to the truth bullets]

Now sure that I had found everything else there was to find in the bar, I steeled my will and swallowed my nerves, kneeling down next to the body to talk to Keina. Yanagi came over and squatted next to me.

"Are you two ready?" Keina asked.

"As I'll ever be." I said. "Okay, lay it on us."

"You got it." Keina grinned. "Alright, well, first of all, her head wound. It's almost definitely the fatal wound, and the almost is just because I like to stay open to options. There's some brick pieces inside the wound, and they match that of the wall. Her skull is fractured by the wound, and I can also verify the contusions mentioned in the monokuma file. Though, I can't actually locate a second prefatal blunt force trauma injury. The skull is too damaged."

"Anything else?" I asked.

"Yeah." She nodded. "In her hair, near the wound, there's some sort of green substance."

"Substance?" Yanagi asked.

"Well," Keina said. "I'd be more specific, but I don't know what it is. It's a bit chunky?"

"Chunky." Yanagi repeated.

"Mhm, chunky." Keina confirmed. "I don't have any idea what it is, just that it's near the wound and green."

[Keina's Body Analysis has been added to the truth bullets]

"Was there anything in her pockets?" Yanagi asked.

"No, nothing besides her handbook." Keina said. "But there was this. Remember the mark we found on Rukiro-san's neck?"

"Yeah, of course." I said.

"Well, she has the same thing on her neck." Keina said. "I'm pretty sure it's the exact same symbol if you want to look."

I took a moment to ready myself before Keina pulled Minagami's hair aside to show me. As far as I could tell, it looked like someone had taken a sharp object and cut into the skin just enough to draw blood and leave a mark, making an intricate design in a very small area. The blood had dripped a little, though, so I couldn't tell what it was supposed to look like.

"So, the wound on Rukiro-san looked the same as this?" Yanagi asked. I jumped a little, not having realized he was looking over my shoulder.

"Yeah, the wounds were definitely created by the same method." Keina nodded.

[Strange Neck Markings has been updated in the truth bullets]

"Thanks a lot." I said, bowing just a little bit towards Keina. Then I stood up, turning to Yanagi. "I think we've found everything there is to find."

Again, Yanagi opened his mouth, only to be cut off by someone else in the room.

"Honrei-san." Iyakami said, with a small wave of his hand. "I have something to talk to you about, and you can leave your _pet_ over there."

"Okay?" I shrugged, giving Yanagi a look to show I was as clueless as he was, then headed over to where Iyakami was loitering, half leaning against the wall.

"At least you respond quickly." He said. "You have that going for you."

"What did you need, Iyakami-san?" I asked, wanting to get this over with.

"You remember what I showed you when we investigated the Library, right?" He said. There was only one thing he could mean.

"The file with the criminal cases involving Hope's Peak student?" I asked, just to confirm.

"Exactly that." He said. "Don't you think it's strange?"

"What is?" I asked. He sighed dramatically.

"Did you even read it after I gave it to you?" He asked.

"Well, uh, actually," I said. "I thought you had it covered." He sighed again, even more dramatically.

"Honestly, Honrei-san, I thought I could trust you with this." He said. "No use lamenting what didn't happen, though. What I'm concerned about is Walpurgis Nacht."

"Walpurgis Nacht?" I asked. "Sounds German."

"That is the origin of the name, yes." He said. "It's the name of a cult. I have reason to believe there is a member of this cult within our own group."

"Oh, well, as long as they aren't hurting anyone." I said. "I think they should be able to believe in whatever they want-"

"It's a cult of serial killers, Honrei-san."

"S-serial killers!" I yelped. Iyakami clamped his hand over my mouth.

"Shut up, would you?" He said, holding a finger to his lips. "I don't want them to realize we're onto them, they might start covering their tracks."

"Why do you think there's a member of-" I whispered, as soon as my mouth was free again. "Walpurgis Nacht? Included in us?"

"Well, you'd know too if you read the file." Iyakami sighed. "Their name was in it."

"Really?" I gasped.

"I have no reason to lie about this."

"Who is it?" I asked.

"I can't say." He replied. "I don't want this information getting out until I'm sure, however..."

"Hm?"

"I think it's likely that they're the one behind this situation." He said. "Some kind of mastermind of this killing game."

"Well, I guess it does make sense." I said. "A serial killer wouldn't have as many inhibitions about this much death."

"I'm glad you understand." He nodded. "There is one more thing you should know, though."

"What's that?"

"Each time a member of Walpurgis Nacht kills someone," he said. "They leave a symbol carved into the skin, usually on the neck, that is unique to them. It acts as a calling card, not that I would know why they would want to leave one. Sounds like a good way to get caught to me."

[Walpurgis Nacht has been added to the truth bullets]

Around the same time Iyakami finished talking to me, Ajiyama came rushing into the bar, looking disheveled and panting heavily. She smoothed herself out, and tried to look put together as she sauntered over to me.

"Ajiyama-chan, are you okay?" I asked.

"Huh? Why wouldn't I be?" She replied, still breathing a bit unevenly. "Sorry, I have to say this quickly, because I think the investigation period is going to end soon, and I want to make sure you know this, because it might be really important to the trial, and-"

"Ajiyama-chan." I interrupted.

"Right." She cleared her throat and did a brief salute. "I've searched all other rooms and buildings under the dome and determined that there is nothing related to the case anywhere outside of the bar."

[Ajiyama's Account has been added to the truth bullets]

"No wonder you look so tired." I laughed.

"Ack! I do?" She said. "I was trying to look cool..."

"You're definitely cool already." I said. She smiled.

"Attention! Ahem! The investigation period has now concluded. Please make your way to the meeting hall at this time! And be quick about it!"

"I guess you were right on time." I said to Ajiyama, laughing just a little.

"Ajiyama Yoshie never fails!" She boasted, with a large grin. "Come on, let's go! We're gonna rock this trial!"

While I wanted to agree, and be just as excited, I couldn't help feeling a bit of dread as we left the bar and headed to the meeting hall. Someone had died, and it didn't seem like a simple death either. Not only that, but it was a murder. As the elevator lowered into the ground, I was plagued with the thought that someone else in the very same elevator had killed Minagami, and by the end of the trial, one of us would have to die.

Despite all my worries, I walked into the trial room and up to my stand with my head held high. Whether I wanted to or not, I was prepared for what was to come.

I would win this class trial.

END Daily Life

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm unsure when the next chapter will be, but if it's not on December 22nd, it will be on January 5th. Please leave your suspicions in the comments!


	15. Chapter Two: Paint the Town Pink: Trial- Part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays here's a chapter a day early.

Standing at my podium, I took the moment before it started spinning to look around, seeing the trial room had changed appearances since last trial. Now it was covered in dark blue, both walls and curtains, giving the entire room a very sophisticated and dark feeling to it. On each wall there was a silver photo frame, empty and showing straight through to the wall underneath. Overall it was very minimalistic and neutral, but it still felt ominous somehow. With one last glance, the world started to move around me.

"Alright!" Monokuma said, just as I was getting used to the spinning of the room. "Welcome to another spectacular trial! Here are the rules. The result is decided as your votes! If you vote correctly, then the culprit will be punished! But if you vote for the wrong one, everyone else will be punished, and the culprit will escape! Now then, to start-"

"I did it!" Rukiro cut off monokuma with a shout. Nearly everyone else in the room was struck silent, aside from a few gasps. "I killed Sachi-sama!"

"Is that really the truth?" Yanagi asked, with a tilt of his head.

"Yes." Rukiro said, biting his lip.

"Okay then," Mizuki smiled, leaning forward. "Explain to us how you did it. Just for posterity's sake."

"A-alright." Rukiro nodded.

<Nonstop Debate>

Truth Bullets: **Monokuma File 2, Keina's Body Analysis, Rukiro's Injury**

Rukiro: I killed Sachi-sama!

Tomiko: How, though? I don't get it.

Mizuki: Go on! Tell us, Seaweed-kun!

Rukiro: Well, uh,

Rukiro: Sachi-sama rarely had her guard up around me,

Rukiro: So, I snuck up behind her

Rukiro: And hit her on the head,

Rukiro: And then I moved her body to a more graceful position.

Toshima: Is that it then?

Gendou: I n-never th-thought s-someone c-could b-b-be s-so c-cruel.

Rukiro: Well, uh, I was...

Honrei: _Having the true culprit confess this early in the trial would just be ridiculous in the first place, never mind all the mistakes Rukiro is making._

\--- **Monokuma File 2** \-- > "snuck up behind her"

Honrei: No, that's wrong!

<END>

"If you were planning on lying, Rukiro-kun," I said. "I'd at least hope you would try harder."

"Wh-what are you talking about?" He snapped back. "I-I'm telling you nothing but the truth."

"No, because there's no way that you snuck up behind Minagami-san." I said. "Because of the contusions the monokuma file mentioned, those would be bruises, across her body-"

Rukiro: Don't be so foolish!

<Rebuttal Showdown>

Truth Bullets: **Monokuma File 2, Dried Vodka, Yanagi's Strange Feeling**

Rukiro: Must you be so insistent?

Rukiro: You plan to look a gift horse in the mouth?

Rukiro: I have confessed.

Rukiro: Is that not enough for you?

Honrei: No, it's not.

Honrei: There are too many flaws and holes in your telling of the case.

Rukiro: And where, exactly, are those flaws?

Rukiro: I killed Sachi-sama.

Rukiro: I then moved her body to where you have found it.

Rukiro: It is not possible that

Rukiro: She obtained those injuries while I was moving her body?

Honrei: No, it's not.

Honrei: Those injuries were inflicted before death.

Honrei: I think it's much more likely that she got in a fight with someone.

Rukiro: A fight?

Rukiro: Sachi-sama?

Rukiro: She would never be so crass!

Rukiro: Do not insult her memory!

Rukiro: And beyond all this, nonsense,

Rukiro: You have no evidence.

Rukiro: _You have no proof that any sort of altercation happened in the bar!_

\--- **Yanagi's Strange Feeling** \---

Honrei: I'll cut that claim to pieces!

<END>

"No, Rukiro-kun, I do have proof." I said.

"You, you do?" He asked, panicked.

"Yes." I said. "Yanagi-kun, you felt like something was off during our investigation, right? Did you ever figure out what that was?"

"Mhm." He nodded. "Most of the tables were moved out of place. It would have been more noticeable on carpet, with the impressions they would have made on the floor, but even on that wood floor, they left tiny scuff marks. You wouldn't even come close to noticing them unless you knew the area very well, which the culprit probably didn't."

"But me and Acorn-kun spent a looooong while looking at the bar." Mizuki said. "I knew something was wrong too, thanks for figuring it out!"

"Yeah," Yanagi said.

"So, not only was Sachi-sama attacked," Rukiro said. "But she was made to fight, and I wasn't there to protect her?"

"That's what it looks like." I said. "The tables probably got knocked around during the fight."

"I am a failure!" Rukiro wailed. "Were it not for me falling prey to an attacker, then Sachi-sama would be alive right now."

"But that doesn't make you her murderer." Ajiyama said.

"Wouldn't you rather avenge her?" Iyakami said. "Persecute the one who dared to wrong her."

"We went through this already!" Keina said. "You have to keep living, now for the sake of both of you! Minagami-san needs you to stay alive to carry on her memory!"

"R-right." Rukiro sniffled.

"Wasn't it kind of ridiculous for Seaweed-kun to be the killer anyways?" Mizuki asked. "With his headwound and all."

"Yeah, uh," Keina said. "That injury was definitely not fake..."

"So, we just wasted our time?" Toshima groaned.

"No, it wasn't a waste." I said. "We still figured something out. Minagami-san was in a fight."

"Wait, ab that wound on Rukiro-kun," Komori said. "What exactly is the story behind it? I feel like I missed smth."

<Select Evidence>

\--> "Rukiro's Account"

"That's it!"

<END>

"Rukiro-kun went to the bar with Minagami-san." I said. "But as soon as they arrived, he was knocked out."

"And you didn't s-see anything b-before y-you, uh, you b-blacked out?" Gendou asked.

"N-no." Rukiro said. "I'm afraid not. At least I, cannot remember anything."

"You didn't tell me you could have amnesia!" Keina shouted. "This could be a lot more serious than I first thought!"

"Can it wait until after the trial, Keina-san?" Tomiko asked. "At least he's not bleeding out, and we've got other things to deal with right not."

"A-Alright." Keina said. "But, don't let me forget,"

"I, uh, I think I might, um, have an idea." Nishimura mumbled.

"An idea?" Komori asked. "What is it?"

"Well uh, if we can figure out more about how Rukiro-kun was attacked," she said. "It might lead us to the culprit, right?"

"That's a great idea." I said. "Let's look for some clues."

<Nonstop Debate>

Truth Bullets: **Broken Bottle, Green Stain, Wall Dent**

Ajiyama: Alright, so, what can we learn from the attack on Rukiro-kun?

Yanagi: There might be something telling in _the weapon used to attack him_.

Komori: Hmm, maybe?...

Iyakami: Or perhaps _the location of the attack_  will shed light on something?

Tomiko: Oh! I know!

Tomiko: Maybe there's something hidden in plain sight.

Tomiko: _In Rukiro's story_ , you know?

Rukiro: I assure you, I told you all I know.

Mizuki: Mizuki-kun thinks that the most important part is _when the attack happened_.

Toshima: Well, shucks.

Toshima: I'm not sure which of us is right!

Honrei: _Even though a lot of these ideas might lead us somewhere, there's only one I'm sure I have evidence for. I just have to point it out._

\--- **Broken Bottle** \-- > " _the weapon used to attack him_ "

Honrei: I agree!

<END>

"It's pretty safe to say we already know what the weapon used to attack Rukiro is." I said.

"Huh? The bottle?" Tomiko asked. "I thought someone had just dropped that or something."

"I thought the same." Iyakami said.

"..." Tomiko deadpanned. "Is it too late to change my mind? I don't really want to agree with Iyakami-san."

"Fine. I don't require your approval." Iyakami sighed. "Surely you have additional evidence to support your theory that it was used as a weapon?"

"Of course I do." I said.

<Select Evidence>

\--> "Rukiro's Injury"

"That's it!"

<END>

"Keina-san," I said. "While you were treating Rukiro's headwound, you found some glass shards, right?"

"Um, yes!" She nodded fervently. "I had to pick them out, so they wouldn't move around later and cause more damage or reopen the wound."

"You also said the wound had been previously sterilized." I continued. "I'm not an expert, but I'm pretty sure alcohol sterilizes wounds, and since the bottle was from the bar-"

"Wait," Toshima said. "How do we know that it's from the bar?"

<Nonstop Debate>

Truth Bullets: **Yanagi's Strange Feeling, Green Stain, Alcohol Shelves**

Mizuki: What do you mean how do we know that it's from the bar?

Mizuki: Is Toffee-kun _a bigger idiot than I thought?_

Toshima: No!

Toshima: I just don't want us jumping to conclusions.

Nishimura: H-he's right.

Nishimura: The bottle could have _belonged to someone_.

Komori: Which would make it lead us 2 the culprit!

Komori: Nice going, u 2!

Tomiko: There weren't any bottles missing from the bar in the first place, either.

Tomiko: So really, it had to be the culprit's!

Mizuki: Awww,

Mizuki: I never knew _Toffee-kun wasn't the only idiot_.

Honrei: _There's a clear misconception going on here, and it won't be solved by insults._

\--- **Alcohol Shelves** \-- > "There weren't any bottles missing"

Honrei: No, that's wrong!

<END>

"There actually definitely was a bottle missing from the bar." I said.

"What, you're serious?" Tomiko gasped.

"Yeah, maybe you didn't notice." I said. "Because the culprit moved the remaining bottles around, so the shelf still looked full, like nothing was missing."

"Oooh, so that's it!" Toshima said. "I understand now."

"Then the wound was sterilized because the alcohol splashed on it right after it was made?" Keina said.

"Wait, but how do you know it was alcohol?" Mizuki asked. "The shelves had soda and juice and things, too."

<Select Evidence>

\--> "Dried Vodka"

"That's it!"

<END>

"There was a stain of dried vodka on the ground about where the attack should have happened." I said. "Given that all the other bottles were intact, there's no other explanation for the spill. It probably evaporated before the culprit could clean it up. Don't tell me you're doubting me now, Mizuki-kun."

"Naahhh..." Mizuki yawned. "I just wanted to make sure everyone else knew! I'm smart enough to know that not everyone has figured out the entire case already."

"So, uhh..." Nishimura said. "If the culprit planned ahead and got the bottle, they probably used the same weapon on Minagami-san, right?"

"That makes sense." Ryouta agreed with a nod. "The wound was the same rough shape, judging from the Monokuma File's description. Could we identify a suspect by looking for glass cuts on their hands?"

"No, probably not." I said. "Since the bottle neck was still intact, there's no guarantee they would have been wounded."

"Wait." Yanagi said. "The bottle wasn't what killed her."

<Nonstop Debate>

Truth Bullets: **Monokuma File 2, Rukiro's Account, Wall Dent**

Yanagi: The file clearly states the cause of death as the victim's skull being shattered by repeated force.

Yanagi: A single glass bottle couldn't cause that injury.

Gendou: Y-yeah.

Gendou: Th-the bottle would b-break before you c-could g-get that many h-hits in.

Ajiyama: So, the fatal weapon was something else.

Ryouta: Perhaps it was _something the victim had on her._

Rukiro: _The culprit could just have easily had brought it._

Tomiko: Well it's not like it could something like _the brick wall_.

Tomiko: Unless they _took a brick out_  and hit her with it!

Komori: There's always the chance that the monokuma file was wrong.

Honrei: _Maybe they didn't mean it seriously, but someone already said the right answer. I'll have to say what they don't see._

\--- **Wall Dent** \-- > " _the brick wall_ "

Honrei: I agree!

<END>

"The fatal weapon we're looking for," I said. "Is the brick wall itself."

"You're kidding me!" Tomiko said. "The culprit actually rook a brick out?!"

"Not quite." I said. "When I say the wall itself, I mean the entire wall."

"How does that work, exactly?" Komori asked. "I can't imagine even Toshima-kun lifting an entire wall to hit someone."

"I would never!" Toshima said.

"No, no." I said. "That's not what happened. It was more like-"

<Choice>

"The culprit moved the wall."

"The culprit moved the victim."

"The culprit moved reality itself."

\---

**The culprit moved the victim.**

"That's it!"

<END>

"The victim's skull was shattered by _repeated_ blunt force." I said. "It's very likely that the culprit slammed Minagami's head into the wall until she died."

"That's horrible!" Gendou said.

"That kind of thing," Ryouta said, looking pale. "Isn't it a bit excessive?"

"I'm not saying it was reasonable." I said. "But it's probably what happened. Both the wall and Minagami's skull broke, because the culprit smashed them together, over, and over, and over, and-"

"D-do you have to, uh, phrase it like that?" Nishimura asked.

"Sorry, Nishimura-san." I said.

"But there's a problem with your theory, Honrei-san." Iyakami said.

"Huh? But I'm sure I got it right-"

"Not what I mean." He sighed. "The problem is that it doesn't lead us any closer to the culprit. Even the weakest of us could easily be concealing strength, so we can't use that to even rule anyone out."

"That's-" I stopped. He was right, even if I didn't want to admit it.

"It's alright, we still figured some things out!" Ajiyama said, with a weak smile.

"But does any of it point us in any direction?" Keina asked. "It's a bit hopeless..."

"No!" I refuted. "There has to be something!"

<Nonstop Debate>

Truth Bullets: **Monokuma File 2, Rukiro's Account, Strange Neck Markings**

Honrei: I refuse to get stuck here!

Nishimura: Then, uh, what is there to look at?

Nishimura: There, uh, _aren't really any clues left_.

Yanagi: It's just as easy to believe we missed something.

Tomiko: Then, maybe we _didn't look closely enough_  at something.

Komori: Or is there _smth we haven't looked at_  yet?

Toshima: I believe in us! We can figure this out!

Toshima: There has to be something to look at!

Honrei: _He's right. There's still things to do here. It's not over yet._

\--- **Strange Neck Markings** \-- > " _smth we haven't looked at_ "

Honrei: I agree!

<END>

"The biggest clue I can think of is one we haven't even considered yet." I said, feeling confident. "On the necks of both Minagami-san and Rukiro-kun were these strange symbols carved into the skin, and they give us a good clue to who the culprit might be."

Komori: Ur jokin', rite?

Honrei: !

Honrei: No, I'm not joking. This could be really important.

Komori: Lol, u can't b srs. Lemme show u how ur wrong!

<Rebuttal Showdown>

Truth Bullets: **Keina's Body Analysis, Strange Neck Markings, Walpurgis Nacht**

Komori: I nvr heard u mention these b4.

Komori: How do I know ur not lying?

Komori: These wounds might not even exist!

Komori: I sure didn't c them!

Komori: Ur probs just making them up!

Honrei: I'm not making them up!

Honrei: After all, Keina-san was the one who found them in the first place.

Komori: I don't c ur point?

Komori: Ur still the 1 insisting they're important evidence.

Komori: Isn't it more likely they aren't anything at all?

Komori: Like, they're stray cuts from the bricks or the glass.

Honrei: No, Komori-san.

Honrei: Those wounds were deliberate.

Komori: How can u b sure?

Komori: Did u even c them?

Komori: Ur just bein' ridiculous at this point!

Komori: The fact of the matter is,

Komori: _There's no way there was any sort of intent behind those markings!_

\--- **Walpurgis Nacht** \---

Honrei: I'll cut that claim to pieces!

<END>

"The markings on their necks, they bear a striking resemblance," I took a pause to breathe. "To the calling cards of members of the serial killer cult Walpurgis Nacht."

"S-s-s-serial k-k-killer?" Gendou stuttered, physically stumbling back, and nearly falling off his podium, before regaining balance.

"Yeah." I said. "Because of the neck markings, it's definitely a possibility that a member is here among us, and that they killed Minagami-san."

"There's no way!" Komori said. "A _serial killer_ , here? That's just ridiculous!"

"You seem awfully defensive." Iyakami cooed.

"She's just shocked. "Toshima said. "Who wouldn't be?"

"Incorrect." Iyakami deadpanned.

"What kind of a response is that?" Tomiko asked. "'Incorrect'- of course she's shocked!"

"Why would she be?" Iyakami said, with a small tilt of the head. "After all, she _is_ this alleged Walpurgis Nacht member, not to mention the culprit behind this case, and this game entirely."

"What the _FUCK_!" Keina shrieked. "You can't just say that!"

"But he already did, Light-chan!" Mizuki smiled.

"But, there's no way that's true!" Keina said. "Komori-chan, a killer? That's impossible!"

"And why, exactly, is it impossible?" Iyakami said. "Aside from personal relations and convictions you have no reason to defend her."

"But you don't exactly have a reason to accuse her, either." Ajiyama said. "Even if there were a singular person behind our entrapment, which is unlikely in the first place given the scale, why would they kill someone directly? They'd run the risk of getting caught and ruining their own game. Besides that, the idea of a cult of serial killers is something straight out of fiction."

"It's not fiction!" Komori said, suddenly very loud. "The blessings of the goddess aren't a joke! I don't care if you accuse me, but Walpurgis Nacht is real! Kat-chan, he died, probably because he was being accused, just like this, and if that's the case, then I want to die with him!"

"And you would kill the rest of us with you?" I asked.

"Huh?"

"Komori-san didn't kill anyone." I said. "At least not in this case."

"If you're going to make a claim like that," Iyakami spat. "Then be prepared to explain yourself."

"Yeah, Mizuki-kun thinks she's pretty suspicious too." Mizuki said.

"I would be inclined to agree on that front." Ryouta said.

"But, I c-can't, uh, believe Komori-san would do something like this." Nishimura said.

"I can't either!" Toshima nodded.

"Yeah, well, you can't refute an accusation on trust alone." Tomiko said.

"You can't base an accusation on suspicion alone, either." Yanagi said. "Whatever the truth is, we'll have to fight for it."

<Scrum Debate>

Narrator: Okay, okay, I know I promised no more new mechanics during the last chapter, but you'll have to forgive me.

Narrator: In this, you'll have to match up your own team's statements to opposing statements to break down their argument.

Narrator: On the left will be the enemy statements, numbered.

Narrator: And on the right, ally statements, lettered.

Narrator: You can try to match them up based on the keywords, which are bolded,

Narrator: Or you can skip to the end for the answer.

Narrator: I'll be out now, bye!

\--Start--

1\. Tomiko: Komori-chan is super **suspicious**!

               A. Ajiyama: We don't know yet if someone could've **known** about Walpurgis Nacht beforehand.

2\. Mizuki: Rocky-chan _is_ a member of a **cult** of serial killers.

               B. Nishimura: Yes, but the **markings** c-could have been m-made by, uh, someone else.

3\. Ryouta: The **markings** on the victims' necks were _her_ calling card.

               C. Keina: There's no way to know for sure if the **cult** is involved with this case.

4\. Rukiro: How is it that anyone else would have **known** to leave the calling card?

               D. Honrei: We won't know who **killed** her until we look closer at all the evidence.

5\. Iyakami: Komori **killed** Minagami-san, beyond a shadow of a doubt.

               E. Yanagi: Komori is no more **suspicious** than anyone else here.

\---

  1. E, 2. C, 3. B, 4. A, 5. D



\---

"This is our answer!"

<END>

"Well played, I must admit." Iyakami sighed. "But the problem remains that you have no evidence to support your claims."

"I do, actually." I said.

"What, u do?" Komori balked.

"Yeah," I nodded. "If you think back to when we first discovered the body, it took four of us to trigger the body discovery announcement."

~

"Hello? Are you two alright?" I recognized it as Tomiko's voice.

"Y-you w-were t-taking a l-long t-t-time to come back," Gendou was with her, apparently, and he sounded a few steps ahead of her, closer. "So, I-I-aiyeeeee!"

Gendou jumped back as soon as he saw beyond us. Moments later Tomiko froze, breathing quickening.

"A body has been discovered! After a brief period of investigation, the Class Trial will commence!"

~

"Four?" Nishimura asked. "But, isn't it supposed to play after three people find the body?"

"Exactly." I said. "The only reason I can think of for needing four of us is if one of the first three was the killer. Am I right in that you would wait in that case, monokuma?"

"Hmm, well you know I try not to give out handouts like this," monokuma said. "But since you guessed it exactly, I guess I can be a little nice."

"That means yes, right?" Toshima asked.

"Yeah, I think so." Keina said. "Who was it who found the bodies again?"

"Iyakami, Gendou, Tomiko, and myself." I said. "If you'll notice, none of those four were Komori-san."

"Oh, is that so," Komori turned away, smiling sadly.

"So th-that m-means, K-Komori-san, isn't a s-serial k-killer?" Gendou asked.

"No, I definitely am." Komori said. "I mean, uh, I guess that's what u'd call it, rite?"

"Call what?" Keina asked.

"Well, every once in a while, I go out with a couple of friends and hunt some people down, so they don't have 2 go thru the pain of killing themselves. It's all n devotion 2 our goddess." Komori said. "That's what u'd call a serial killer, rite?"

"And a cult." Yanagi said. "Why exactly, are you telling us this?"

"Well, uh," Komori paused. "I mean, it would just make the case harder 2 figure out if I wasn't honest, rite? And now u also kno that I'm probs not lying ab anything else, if I'm honest about this."

"What a tangled web you weave." Iyakami sighed.

"But Komori-san definitely isn't the culprit." I said. "No matter what she's involved in."

"Our suspect list just became a lot more brief, however." Rukiro said. "This should be beneficial, yes?"

"Someone in specific is a lot more suspicious, though, right?" Ajiyama said. I nodded.

<Select Suspect>

\--

<PAUSE>

Monokuma: Good mourning friends and foes!

Monokuma: Welcome to another edition of~

Monokuma: Monokuma's trial intermission spectacular!

Monokuma: Who will live? Who will die?

Monokuma: Who is it that died in the first place again?

Monokuma: I mean, does it really matter?

Monokuma: No matter who dies, or who killed them, it's always the same trial format,

Monokuma: Day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year

Monokuma: I'm getting a little bit bored of it all, you know?

Monokuma: But here I am, sacrificing myself for the sake of entertainment.

Monokuma: I'm a very selfless bear, after all.

Monokuma: You all should really appreciate me more!

Monokuma: Therefore, I am making today, from here on out

Monokuma: Monokuma appreciation day!

Monokuma: Your gifts will be accepted through mail or e-correspondence.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next update on January 5th, probably.


	16. Chapter Two: Paint the Town Pink: Trial- Part Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year! I hope I can continue producing content throughout this year for you guys.  
> On a different note, are you a fan of BioN? Do you want to talk to other BioN fans and also the creator? Lucky for you there's a discord group for that. Open to everyone! Here: https://discord.gg/s2XjDkE

Monokuma: Welcome back to monokuma’s intermission spectacular!

Monokuma: When we last left off,

Monokuma: Our lovely protagonist Honrei had just managed to clear Komori’s name!

Monokuma: Only to turn right back around and accuse someone else!

Monokuma: But who could this mysterious new suspect be?

Monokuma: Let’s find out! Right now!

Monokuma: Or whenever you want, really.

<Resume>

<Select Suspect>

\-- Iyakami Kenshin --

"It could only be you!"

<END>

"Iyakami-san, there's something that's been bothering me." I said. "When we first went looking for Minagami-san and Rukiro-kun, I suggested we go to the Library, but you insisted we go to the bar first. Thing is, you never told me why."

"Whoa!" Tomiko gasped. "That's like, super suspicious!"

"So then," Ajiyama said. "That means he probably knew the locations of the bodies beforehand."

"That's not all, tho," Komori said. "Is it?"

"No, there's more." I said.

<Select Evidence>

\--> "Walpurgis Nacht"

"That's it!"

<END>

"Walpurgis Nacht, the thing we were basing the accusation for Komori-san on," I said. "You were the one who told me about it."

"Do you mean to suggest I fabricated an entire religious cult?" Iyakami asked. "That's preposterous. Komori even admitted its existence."

"That's not what I'm saying at all." I said. "What matters is that this means _you_ knew about Walpurgis Nacht."

"Say, Honrei-chan," Ajiyama said. "Wasn't Iyakami-san the one who gave you that file in the first place? The one about criminals at Hope's Peak?"

"That's exactly right." I said. "He told me earlier, that he read through all of it, well enough to remember Walpurgis Nacht, and tell me about it during the investigation period."

"S-sorry, but, uh, what d-does that mean, e-exactly?" Nishimura asked.

"I'm not really sure either?" Toshima said.

"It means." Yanagi sighed. "Iyakami-san had all the information he would need to fake the calling cards in order to frame Komori-san. She wouldn't have to be involved in this case at all."

"Not only that," Mizuki said. "But Kindling-kun probably saw the bodies before everyone else. And the announcement didn't trigger with just him and two other people. Pretty suspicious if you ask Mizuki-kun."

"So, wait, like, _he_ killed Minagami-san?" Tomiko asked.

"And then he tried to frame Komori-chan." Keina said.

"What a nice work of fiction." Iyakami laughed. "I commend your skill at writing stories, at least."

"It's a legitimate theory, Iyakami-san." I said. "Giving it a dismissive response only makes you look more suspicious."

"Ahem." Rukiro coughed. "Excuse me?"

"What is it, Rukiro-san?" Gendou asked.

"I am aware that the convenient timing makes me less believable," Rukiro said. "However, I have just now found myself remembering something."

"From the moment of the assault on me," Rukiro said. "Before I lost consciousness, or perhaps during my slumber, it is very unclear in my memory, though I do not believe I woke up-"

"Get on with it." Mizuki sneered.

"I recall seeing a flash of short maroon-colored hair." Rukiro said. "I still do not remember the face of my assailant, but I hope this can be of use."

[Rukiro's Account has been updated in the truth bullets]

"But wait," Tomiko said. "That sounds like Iyakami-san's hair!"

"So, one of the victims," Ryouta said. "Saw someone who looked like Iyakami-san at the moment of their assault."

"That's pretty damning, if not conclusive." Ajiyama said.

"Well, i-if all th-the e-evidence s-s-seems to p-point to h-him," Gendou said. "Th-then, w-we just have to get h-him to c-confess s-so we c-can v-vote safely."

Wait.

All of the evidence?

No, there were still things we hadn't reviewed yet. Calling for a vote now would be dangerous, even with a confession, we don't know the whole case. I definitely needed to say something.

"I-"

"I suppose I should come clean." Iyakami said, starting to speak at the exact same moment as me, though his voice was much more commanding of attention. "Fine, alright, I killed her, and I attacked dear old Rukiro-kun, too. Afterwards I tried to pin the blame on Komori-san. She's such an easy target, you know?"

"That was a confession, right?" Mizuki said. "Now we just have to vote, hooray!"

"Wait." I said.

"Marvelous. We only have to use the switches found on the podiums in front of us to vote, correct?" Rukiro said. "Let us do away with this villain."

"I said wait!" I shouted, a bit louder than I meant to.

"W-why are we waiting?" Nishimura asked.

"I'm not sure if Iyakami-san is the culprit." I said. "We haven't gone through everything yet."

"Do we have to?" Toshima asked. "I mean, he confessed, how much more sure can we get?"

"There's nothing wrong with wanting to be confident, I guess." Keina said.

"Shit." Yanagi said.

"You don't trust my word, Honrei-san?" Iyakami said. "How cruel. You were the one to accuse me in the first place."

"I'm allowed to change my theory as I learn more, Iya-"

"Fuck!" Yanagi said, louder, this time banging his fist on the trial stand. "Goddamn it! We made the same mistake as last time!"

"Huh?" Ajiyama said. "What's going on, Yanagi-kun?"

"Obviously not something of importance." Iyakami said. "I killed Minagami-san, aren't you satisfied with that?"

"No, I'm not," I said. "We haven't gone over everything in the case yet."

"Oh, is that it?" Iyakami sneered. "Well then,"

Iyakami: Let me enlighten you to the truth.

<Rebuttal Showdown>

Truth Bullets: **Keina's Body Analysis, Rukiro's Account, Ajiyama's Account**

Iyakami: If an explanation of the case in full is what you desire, allow me to provide.

Iyakami: First _I planned a meeting with Minagami-san._

Iyakami: _I arrived ahead of time_.

Iyakami: _And that is when I obtained a bottle from the shelf_.

Iyakami: Once the two had shown up,

Iyakami: _I struck Rukiro-san over the head with the bottle_.

Iyakami: _Afterwards, I also struck Minagami-san, with the same weapon_.

Iyakami: _She, however, persisted_.

Iyakami: _I cornered her_

Iyakami: _and then delivered the final blow_

Iyakami: _using the brick wall behind her to smash her head against_.

Iyakami: Does this all make sense?

Iyakami: Are you following along?

Honrei: I'm following along just fine!

Honrei: I'm just saying that we need to be sure!

Honrei: You haven't explained the whole case yet.

Iyakami: Alright, fine, I'll continue for you.

Iyakami: After doing the deed,

Iyakami: _I arranged the bodies perfectly._

Iyakami: Just for aesthetics, you know how it is.

Iyakami: Then I took _a piece of glass from the broken bottle,_

Iyakami: _And used it to mark the calling cards_.

Iyakami: _After cleaning the crime scene_ ,

Iyakami: _I left_ ,

Iyakami: And then, in the morning,

Iyakami: _I led Honrei-san to the crime scene_.

Iyakami: _She, Gendou-san, Tomiko-san, and I discovered the scene and the announcement played_.

Iyakami: And that's all she wrote.

Honrei: _Ack there's no flaws in this part of the testimony, as far as I can see. I'll have to back track_.

Iyakami: If an explanation of the case in full is what you desire, allow me to provide.

Iyakami: First _I planned a meeting with Minagami-san_.

Iyakami: _I arrived ahead of time_.

Iyakami: _And that is when I obtained a bottle from the shelf_.

Iyakami: Once the two had shown up,

Iyakami: _I struck Rukiro-san over the head with the bottle_.

Iyakami: _Afterwards, I also struck Minagami-san, with the same weapon_.

\--- **Keina's Body Analysis** \---

Honrei: I'll cut that claim to pieces!

<END>

"That's it! I've figured it out!" I said.

"Then, would you tell the rest of us?" Ryouta asked.

"Right." I nodded. "When we assumed that Mingami-san was hit by the bottle too, we were wrong! That's what Yanagi-kun meant. We made a mistake about the weapon again."

"You're kidding, right?" Iyakami said, though he seemed just a little nervous. "What else could the weapon be?"

"Well, if Kindling-kun doesn't know," Mizuki pouted. "That means he probably didn't do it. How disappointing."

"Then, it really was Komori-chan who left the calling cards?" Keina asked.

"No, that probably _was_ Iyakami." I said. "He knows too much about the crime, especially after the victim's death, to not be involved."

"But he's, uh, not the, um, killer?" Nishimura asked. "I'm so c-confused."

"Let's try to clear things up, then." I said.

<Nonstop Debate>

Truth Bullets: **Keina's Body Analysis, Rukiro's Injury, Broken Bottle**

Iyakami: I explained it already, I killed her.

Ajiyama: No, you didn't.

Ajiyama: You didn't even know what the weapon was.

Iyakami: And why, exactly, couldn't it be the bottle?

Gendou: M-maybe, th-the _wound was the wrong shape?_

Keina: Could the bottle have _broken before it could be used?_

Toshima: Or! Or!

Toshima: A _second bottle_  was missing!

Rukiro: Perhaps it was _the same bottle_  in the first place.

Iyakami: That's what I've been saying.

Honrei: _There's a definite reason the bottle couldn't have been used to hit Minagami-san_.

\--- **Rukiro's Injury** \-- > " _broken before it could be used_ "

Honrei: I agree!

<END>

"You're exactly right, Keina-san!" I said.

"Whoa, really?" She gasped.

"Of course." Mizuki rolled his eyes. "Why else would she say so?"

"Can u xplain 4 the rest of us?" Komori asked.

"Alright." I said. "So, we already established that Rukiro-kun was hit first."

"That much is clear from his account of the attack, yeah." Tomiko said.

"The thing is, though, there were shards of glass in his head wound." I said. "That would have only happened if the bottle broke on impact."

"The wound was sterilized as well." Yanagi said. "Likely caused by the vodka inside the bottle spilling out when it broke. It would have spilled elsewhere if it broke at a different time."

"W-what e-exactly is th-the p-p-point here?" Gendou asked.

"Well, if the bottle broke when it hit Rukiro-kun," I said. "And he was attacked first, it couldn't possibly have been used in a second attack on Mingami-san."

"And what, may I ask, is this conclusive of?" Rukiro asked. "The fatal injury was caused by the brick wall itself, does the pre-fatal wound matter?"

"It does." I said.

<Choice>

"Because Iyakami didn't have a weapon."

"Because it changes the cause of death."

"Because the real weapon was related to the culprit."

\---

**Because the real weapon was related to the culprit.**

"That's it!"

<END>

"The real weapon is related to who the culprit is." I said. "It's very likely that whoever the culprit was, and it's becoming increasingly likely it _wasn't_ Iyakami, they weren't prepared for Rukiro-kun to show up."

"They weren't... prepared?" Nishimura asked.

"Yeah." I said. "They never invited him, after all. The culprit specifically asked to meet Minagami-san when Rukiro wasn't near her. They didn't intend for him to show up."

"And this isn't just guesswork?" Ryouta asked.

"Nope, it's not." I said.

<Select Evidence>

\--> "Alcohol Shelves"

"That's it!"

<END>

"Think about it," I said. "If you were planning to attack two people, especially with an easily breakable weapon, you would prepare two of them. There's no indication anywhere on the alcohol shelves that the culprit even tried to take more than one bottle."

"Only one was missing." Komori said. "And they arranged it, so it looked like nine were supposed to be on the shelf."

"Yeah." I nodded. "The only reason they would plan ahead, but not prepare a second weapon, was because they weren't expecting Rukiro-kun to be there."

"But they still hit him with the bottle?" Toshima asked.

"Well, I'd say Rukiro-kun is a bit more of a threat in a fight." Ajiyama said. "So, if you wanted to win against both of them, and you only got to surprise one, you should go for him first."

"Thank you, for aiding others in their plans to eliminate me in the future." Rukiro said, almost too even for me to pick out the sarcasm.

"So," Yanagi said. "Since the weapon they brought ahead of time was out of commission, they used something they had on hand?"

"Yeah, that's what I think." I said. "The culprit used something they already had on them, that's why it's related to them."

"What is this weapon, then?" Mizuki pouted. "Don't leave us hanging, Squirrel-chan!"

"I uh, well," I said. "I don't know..."

"You don't know." Ryouta repeated.

"But I'm sure we can figure it out!" I said. "We just have to think about things!"

<Nonstop Debate>

Truth Bullets: **Broken Bottle, Monokuma File 2, Green Stain**

Ajiyama: So basically, what we're looking for now,

Ajiyama: Is a clue to what the weapon is.

Iyakami: _There was no other weapon._

Iyakami: It's clear that it was the bottle.

Tomiko: I mean, yeah,

Tomiko: It's not like there was any evidence left in the bar.

Nishimura: M-maybe _the monokuma file, uh, said something._

Keina: Or, uh,

Toshima: _The shape of the wound is significant!_

Toshima: Oh, wait, sorry, Keina-san.

Keina: It's fine.

Keina: You said what I wanted to, anyways.

Honrei: _It's been staring us in the face this whole time!_

\--- **Green Stain** \-- > "evidence"

Honrei: No, that's wrong!

<END>

"There was, actually a clue, right there at the crime scene." I said. "The green stain left on the ground."

"Huh?" Komori said. "What does a green stain mean? Go?"

"Besides, would the culprit not have cleaned up anything which could allude to their crime?" Rukiro said.

"Hmm..."

<Choice>

"They couldn't clean it up."

"It was a red herring."

"They didn't see it."

\---

**They couldn't clean it up.**

"That's it!"

<END>

"I think what's most likely is that the culprit _couldn't_ clean it up." I said. "In fact, the stain showed signs of someone attempting to wipe it away, but I doubt they were successful."

"So, why couldn't they wipe it away?" Mizuki asked.

"It's possible they didn't have the necessary materials." Yanagi said. "With some sort of solvent, it might be easy, but they had nothing of the sort with them."

"What kind of stain needs a solvent?" Ryouta asked.

<Choice>

"Mountain Dew"

"Olive Oil"

"Paint"

\---

**Paint**

"That's it!"

<END>

"The stain was paint." I said. "Part of the puddle had already dried, so it couldn't be wiped away by the time the killer got to it."

"Whoa!" Ajiyama said. "That makes a lot of sense!"

"Does it, though?" Tomiko asked. "How do we ever know the stain was related to the weapon in the first place, whether it's paint or not?"

<Select Evidence>

\--> "Keina's Body Analysis"

"That's it!"

<END>

"There were bits of the same paint in Minagami-san's hair." I said. "Right around where the wound was."

"Yeah, that's true." Keina said. "I didn't realize it was paint at the time, but that definitely makes sense!"

"So, the culprit..." Toshima said. "Used paint as a weapon?"

"Not exactly." I said. "Rather the paint was a side effect of the real weapon; something the culprit has kept on them this whole time."

<Select Suspect>

\-- Gendou Minori --

"It could only be you!"

<END>

"A cylindrical weapon that could be used for blunt force and would cause green paint to be left behind on the scene..." I said. "That sounds a lot like one of your spray paint cans, Gendou-kun."

"You're kidding, right?" Tomiko shouted, not even a breath after I had finished. "Of course that's wrong, Minori-kun wouldn't hurt anyone!"

"Fine," Iyakami sighed, out of nowhere, "Since you're so insistent, I'll confess."

"Again?" Keina asked. "But you confessed already..."

"No, no," Iyakami shook his head. "This time I am confessing the _truth_. I did not attack Rukiro-san, nor did I kill Minagami-san. However, I happened upon the crime scene, and I decided to make things a little more interesting."

"We have no way of telling if that's true." Tomiko said. "You could have told the truth earlier and be lying now."

"No, I think that's the truth." I said. "After all, there's no way for Gendou-kun to have known about Walpurgis Nacht in order to try and frame Komori-san."

"And why couldn't Iyakami-san have killed her!" Tomiko said. "What was stopping him?"

"Iyakami-kun didn't have the weapon, of course!" Komori said. "And Gendou-kun does! Goddess, keep up, would you?"

"It does, uh, match up pretty, um well." Nishimura said. "Gendou-kun, uh, a-also has red hair, like, um, Rukiro-kun said."

"He also seems the type of person to clean the crime scene." Toshima said. "Like, to try reaaally hard to clean everything, I mean."

"Gendou-kun does always act very fastidious." Rukiro said.

"And, with how Minagami-san always acted towards him," Ajiyama said, distaste in her mouth. "I think he had reason enough to kill."

"All this, and the spray paint can as the weapon." Yanagi said. "It's a lot of evidence that's piling up here."

"There's no way the spray paint can was the weapon!" Tomiko said. "In fact, there's no way Minori-kun was the culprit at all!"

<Panic Talk Action>

Tomiko: There's no way Minori-kun is the culprit!

Tomiko: He wouldn't hurt anyone!

Tomiko: Iyakami-san is the one who killed her!

Tomiko: This is all just theories!

Tomiko: This is just a trick to frame Minori-kun!

Tomiko: Why are you accusing him!

Tomiko: You're just being unrightfully cruel!

Tomiko: Minori-kun didn't do anything wrong!

Tomiko: Stop being so mean!

Tomiko: Why won't you face the truth already?

Tomiko: _The spray can wasn't the weapon, so you have no basis to accuse Minori-kun!_

               Spray

Can                       Dent

               in the

"Dent in the Spray Can"

Honrei: Erroneous and equivocated!

<END>

"There is a decisive way to prove if I'm right or not." I said. "If the can were used as a blunt force weapon, it should have a dent in it, especially if it were hit hard enough to cause paint to spray out."

"If you're serious about defending him then you'll stop hiding behind excuses and present some evidence." Mizuki said. "And let Daisy-kun speak for himself, alright?"

"B-but, that can't be true!" Tomiko shouted. "I won't believe it!"

"No matter how unsavory the truth may be," Rukiro said. "You must face it head on."

"You're being ridiculous!" Tomiko said. "I don't have to face anything head on!"

"No, _ur_ the one being ridiculous." Komori said. "This is a fcking joke lmao."

"It is time you face the facts." Ryouta said.

"E-even if it's not, uh, nice." Nishimura said.

"No! You're all lying!" Tomiko shrieked.

"Stop it..." Gendou mumbled, calling the attention back to himself. "S-stop y-yelling at, at T-Tomiko-chan, sh-she's just b-being a g-good friend."

"That doesn't sound like a refutation." Iyakami said.

"I-I-It's n-not." Gendou said, carefully sliding his green spray paint can out of the loop on his sash and laying it on the stand in front of him, showing that it was indeed dented, with paint all over the outside. "I-I k-killed her, so p-please, j-just s-stop fighting."

"Wait, you're serious?" Keina asked. Gendou only nodded.

"Minori-kun, why would you-" Tomiko croaked.

"I'm n-not going to l-let anyone e-else d-d-die for my s-sake." Gendou said. "I m-made m-my mistake a-already. I w-won't l-let you all m-make any more."

"I still, I can't believe it." Tomiko insisted.

"H-Honrei-san." Gendou said. "P-please, t-tell her how, for m-me?"

"Alright." I nodded.

<Climax Inference>

"I'm not going to pretend I know why this crime was committed, even though I really hope the culprit had a good reason. Either way, this crime began on the fourth day of the motive, before nighttime.

"The culprit approached Minagami, as soon as they saw her alone, without Rukiro by her side. They offered her an invitation to the bar at midnight, asking to talk about something, though they already had other plans in mind.

"Later in the day, the culprit arrived to the bar ahead of time. They only anticipated one person to be arriving, so in preparation, they took a single bottle from the alcohol shelves to use as a weapon, and hit near the door.

"Against the culprit's expectations, however, Minagami had asked Rukiro to come with her as a body guard. The two arrived perfectly on time, and because Rukiro posed a bigger physical threat, the culprit stuck him first. The bottle broke, and Rukiro fell unconscious, but not dead.

"However, this posed a problem. The culprit had now lost both their weapon and the element of surprise. They thought quickly, and grabbed the nearest weapon they could find; a spray paint can from their own supplies that they always carried with them. They struck Minagami over the head with it, causing the can to burst open and paint to spray out into a puddle where it landed on the ground.

"After this strike Minagami was incapacitated, but not quite dead yet. While she was in a delirious state, the culprit fought with her until they both reached the wall opposite the doors to the bar. The culprit was able to overpower her, and grabbing her by the forehead, they slammed her head repeatedly into the brick wall, causing both the wall itself and Minagami's skull to shatter.

"Once done with this crime, the culprit set to work to clean it up. They left the glass shards from the bottle on the floor so that we wouldn't go looking for another weapon. They moved Rukiro's body to the side of the room, and rearranged all of the furniture back upright, but not exactly where it belonged. They wiped up all of the spray paint that they could, but it had already stained the floor in some spots. After this they fled the scene.

"Once the culprit had left, Iyakami entered the bar. He did not do much to alter the scene itself, only took a shard of glass and used it to carve a set of peculiar marks into each of the two victims' necks. He did this to implicate another student, one he believed to be the mastermind. But we saw through to the truth.

"I'm sorry, but,

"The culprit, is Gendou Minori, right?"

<END>

Gendou looked me in the eyes, and nodded.

"Sorry, everyone." He said, looking down again. "B-but, we can vote n-now, right?"

"Righto!" Monokuma said. "Please use the boards in front of you to cast your votes!"

Just as in the previous trial, each vote input caused the spinning of the trial stands to slow down, eventually stopping with Gendou in front of monokuma.

And, just as last time, the projector screens showcased a slot machine, spinning before landing on a portrait of Gendou, and causing confetti to fall, getting stuck in my hair.

"Wowee!" Monokuma said. "Two for two! Good job everybody! Though, it wasn't unanimous, so I guess I can't congratulate _all_ of you. Congratulations to everyone except Tomiko!"

"This is ridiculous." Tomiko said, choking past a sob. "You can't be serious right now..."

"Tomiko-chan-" Gendou muttered.

"So!" Mizuki cheered. "Why'd you do it? I mean the bitch had it coming, but still! What's the scoop!?"

"You don't have to tell us, if you don't want to." Toshima said. "But I guess we'd like to know."

"Why?" Gendou coughed. "Why? Whywhywhywhywhywhywhy, why did she, why did she always-"

"Gendou-kun-" Ajiyama started.

"She w-was, s-so, so cruel to me." Gendou spat out. "I-i-it was t-torture, h-having to live with her a-anywhere near me. I k-know I'm a p-piece of t-trash, b-but h-having to hear someone else t-tell me s-so, every day, and i-invalidated e-everything I've w-worked for- and I, I, I w-was, j-j-j-jealous."

"Jealous?" Ryouta asked.

"Th-the m-motive." Gendou said. "A-all of th-those s-stories, I knew th-they were about o-other p-people h-here, and they, they all had s-such nice l-lives, b-but they still, they still c-complained about them. I-I'd k-kill f-for problems th-that small, b-but, uh, I guess I did a-already."

He laughed, sadly, refusing to make eye contact with anyone.

"I-it's o-okay if you hate m-me." He said. "J-just be nice to Tomiko-chan."

"Alright! That's enough sap!" Monokuma said. "I've prepared a very special execution for Gendou Minori, Super High School Level Guerilla Artist."

"Please don't cry. I'll be okay." Gendou removed the mask from his face to give one last soft smile.

"Let's give it everything we've got!" Monokuma said. "It's punishment time!"

Within the blink of an eye, monokuma hit his gavel on the large red button that appeared in front of him, and Gendou was gone from our sight, only to appear again on the projection screens.

~

"Fear is in the Eye of the Beholder"

Shadows stretched outward from what little light source there was in a nearly pitch-black room. The view was close to the ground, making everything look large and imposing. Slowly panning around the room, various black canvases and awkwardly shaped lumps of clay, and eventually, Gendou, cowering on the floor in the dark, came into view.

A noise echoed through the darkness, the creaking of footsteps, and Gendou jumped, straining his eyes to look out into the dark.

The light source moved, and the shadows with it, contorting into monstrous shapes, with inclinations of claws and horns, and evil grins. Gendou shook, and after another creak, stumbled up off the ground, falling back farther into the dark.

Carefully, Gendou turned, before bolting into the dark, stumbling more than once, before tripping on a string, pulled taught between two easels. Gendou looked over his shoulder, just in time to see something, coming to live, small mechanical and kinetic movements compounding together to create a puppet from nightmares. Gendou yelped, and scampered up again, racing forward faster than before, pushing aside the artworks which grew more and more complete, more grotesque, as he travelled forward.

Until.

He hit a wall.

A wall plastered with a large canvas, framed by a sculpture on each side, scary, frightening beasts of the dark.

Gendou slammed his fists on the canvas, yelling and screaming, begging to go free, but all his force didn't even break the surface of the fabric. Ominously, the mechanical noises approached, a chain reaction playing in the background, where Gendou could not see, nor hear over his own shouts.

The menace remained in the shadows, however, until the very last moment, when, without warning, a knife swung down from the ceiling, striking Gendou in the stomach from behind, causing a splash of blood before retracting, then striking again. Over and over again the blade struck, and Gendou coughed blood up onto the canvas, though it was impossible to tell which part of the mess came from his mouth or his wounds.

Finally, sapped of all his strength, and unable to shout and bang on the wall for freedom, Gendou fell to the ground, grabbing at the canvas as he did, causing part of it to tear away, allowing light to flood the room, to reveal, there was never anything hiding in the shadows to begin with. Not even an animatronic of some kind. All of the cords and pulleys running the knife setup moved back into place, in hiding, as Gendou continued to bleed out onto the ground, motionless.

~

"How..." Tomiko muttered, under her breath, then raising volume. "How dare you! You sick bastard! You don of a bitch! Whoever is fucking hiding behind this plushie, I'll kill you myself! Stop being a coward and face me you piece of shit! You absolute shit-sucking menace! You-"

"Tomiko-san, uh," Nishimura said.

"Calm down." Ryouta followed.

"You're telling me to calm down?" Tomiko boomed. "Did you not see what just happened?!"

"We're all dealing w/ loss, Tomiko-chan." Komori said.

"Yes, we cannot allow grief to... overcome us in times like these." Rukiro said.

"Don't fucking preach to me." Tomiko spat. "You lost what, an abusive girlfriend? You should be _celebrating_ , and Komori, don't even pretend like you understand what's going on. You haven't lost _anyone_. Not only that, but you're a serial killer! Imagine how many people have lost those important to them by your hands! If either of you even cared, you wouldn't be acting so cheery right now!"

"You can't compare you own reactions to others." Ajiyama said. "There are various extraneous stimuli which-"

"Oh fuck off with that shit!" Tomiko said. "Stop using pseudo-science bull to distance yourself from uncomfortable situations. None of you could come even close to what I'm feeling right now so just. Back off."

Without another word, Tomiko stomped back to the elevator, slamming the door close button until she left us behind in the trial room. We were all too shocked to speak.

"What an idiot." Iyakami sighed.

"Yeah, I know," Mizuki said. "She's raising a lot of death flags, acting like that."

"Do you have to be so rude?" Keina glared. "She's obviously hurting, have some sympathy, even if she doesn't act like she wants it..."

With an air of discord, the room fell silent again. After a few moments, enough to make it impossible to say things were fine, Yanagi stepped forwards, towards the elevator. He stood inside once it had arrived again.

"Well come on." He said. "You're not solving anything by wallowing in here. If you can't stand on your own feet, then there will be people to help you, but you have to keep moving."

Yanagi held the door open, until we all shuffled inside, then began our ascent.

<Chapter 2: Paint the Town Pink END>

12 students remain.

You received item: Torn Art Piece.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't written the next chapter yet so there may be a small hiatus as I get that worked out and also get settled back into school after winter break. Next Update will be on either January 19th or February 2nd.


	17. Chapter Three: A Compellation; Inciting Mourning: Daily Life- Part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure if I like this but if I spent any more time editing it we'd have another 6 month hiatus on our hands. And we don't want that.

No matter how inspiring people wanted to be for the group, to pull us all together, nearly immediately after the elevator arrived at the ground floor in the meeting hall, we all split up again. Even if I did have the emotional energy to try and talk to anyone that afternoon, I doubted anyone else would want to. Instead of even trying, I decided to cook a nice warm meal for myself. I wasn't the most spectacular chef by any means, but at times like this, I knew I would appreciate anything, and the same might hold true for everyone else.

With my limited internal recipe book, and the fact that it was evening already, I got out the ingredients and materials to make a pot of curry. I could easily leave it on the burner on low heat, or with a timer, and leave a note so other people could take it if they weren't in the mood for cooking, so it would serve more than just me. While quietly hoping no one would mind my mild tastes in curry, I steamed a bowl of rice for myself, and took my food to the dining hall, where I ate quickly, then left to my room.

I meant to check the pot later that night, to take it off the heat and clean up, I really did, but somehow that didn't happen. My bed looked extremely inviting, and within minutes I was ushered off to sleep, forgetting every other worry from the previous day.

The moment I woke up, I remembered the curry pot. I didn't immediately smell burning, which was a good sign, but nonetheless, I got dressed as fast as I could, rushing through brushing my teeth and combing my hair, and barely buttoning my shirt and tying my tie before I sped out the door.

I walked to the dining hall, a bit later than I would have liked, just to hear the sound of people fighting. I somewhat expected it, after all that had happened yesterday, but there had to be some way I could get them to stop, I was sure of it. Anything to keep the arguing from happening. Stopping the fight was actually probably the only reason I didn't turn around and go back to my room.

"So!" Iyakami said, just as I stepped past the all-too-loud door. "Who broke it? I'm not mad. I just want to know."

"I did." Rukiro said quickly. "I broke it."

"No," Iyakami sighed. "No, you didn't. Ajiyama-san?"

"Don't look at me!" Ajiyama snapped, though she had a sly grin on her face. "Look at Mizuki-kun."

"What?!" Mizuki tilted his head, with a bit of a sharp tone. "I didn't break it!"

"Huh. That's weird." Ajiyama said. "How'd you even know it was broken?"

Mizuki scowled. "Because it's sitting right in front of us, and it's broken!" My attention was directed to the table, where there was a cooking pot broken into a few pieces, with bits of dry curry stuck on the inside, making it immediately recognizable as the one I was using the night before.

"Suspicious." Ajiyama said.

"No!" Mizuki shouted. "It's not!"

"If it matters," Tomiko mumbled, looking a bit down. "Probably not, but Komori-san was the last one to use it."

"Liar!" Komori fired back. "I don't even eat that crap!"

"Oh really?" Tomiko said, picking up a bit more steam. "Then what were you doing in the kitchen earlier?"

"I was getting dishes to help Keina-chan set the table!" Komori said. "Everyone knows that, Tomiko!"

"Alright, let's not fight." Rukiro said, and I wanted to verbally agree, but was too intimidated. "I broke it, let me fix it."

"No." Iyakami said plainly. "Who broke it?"

"U-uh, Iyakami-san," Nishimura whimpered. "R-ryouta-kun has been awfully q-quiet."

"Really?" Ryouta rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, really!" Toshima said, backing Nishimura up.

"What exactly is going on here?" I asked Iyakami, keeping it quiet enough that only he could hear, whilst everyone else devolved into chaos. "What happened to the cooking dish?"

"I broke it." Iyakami said, holding back a laugh. "It burned my hand when I tried to move it off the stove to clean it, and I dropped it. I predict ten minutes from now, they'll be at each other’s throats with war paint on their faces and a pig head on a stick." He paused, letting a small guffaw of the laugh slip out. "Good. It was getting a little chummy around here."

"You'd really call what happened after the trial yesterday 'chummy'?" I asked, feeling more than a little guilty that this all technically happened because of my own negligence. "Hold on,"

I walked over to the table and picked up the largest pieces, stepping around everyone to head to the kitchen.

"Hey, wait!" Tomiko said. "Where are you going with that? We haven't found out who did it yet!"

I briefly considered outing Iyakami, but shook my head, and continued on.

"It's not like we can look for fingerprints." I said. "Having a broken dish around is dangerous, so I'm going to clean it up."

"I've got it!" Ajiyama said. "Honrei-chan, did you break it?"

I sighed and put the pot into the kitchen trash can before turning around and returning to address everyone.

"I didn't break it." I said. "But I was the one who used it to make curry last night, and I left it out on the burner."

"Well, that doesn't help us much." Keina said. "How are we supposed to figure it out from that?"

"You're not!" I snapped. "We're not in a trial anymore, stop accusing each other and just get along! Eat breakfast! And please, for the love of absolutely anything, stop fighting!"

I hugged, breathing a bit heavily after my outburst.

"Sorry, Honrei-chan," Nishimura said, looking down at her lap.

"No, you don't have to-" I started.

"Whatever." Tomiko cut me off. "I'm leaving."

And just as she said, Tomiko stormed out of the room, not even looking back.

"Did we go too far?" Komori asked.

"Tomiko-san... is really upset, huh?" Rukiro asked. After all that happened yesterday, he looked exhausted, emotion completely gone from his face.

"We might just have to leave her be." Ryouta said. "Let her rest."

"Yeah," Toshima said. "Maybe it'll get better with time."

"We can only hope!" Ajiyama said, lacking her usual enthusiasm.

"There are other things to be concerned with right now." Iyakami said. "Last time, we were given new areas to explore after the trial. I have no doubts these will appear again."

"So, you want us to look for them?" Yanagi asked.

"That was the idea, yes." Iyakami said. "Any extra resources would be advantageous, wouldn't they?"

"I mean, I guess so..." Keina said.

"If we're being hopeful, we might say we could find a means of escape in the new areas," Ajiyama said. "But I don't know why we would be, in this situation."

"Don't tell me you're falling into despair already!" Monokuma said, then after a beat of silence. "What? No reaction?"

"It's not really worth the energy." Mizuki said.

"How rude!" Monokuma said. "First you ruin the fun of getting to tease a new area reveal, and now this? I might as well not even be here."

"Yeah." Ryouta said. "Go away."

"So mean..." monokuma whined.

"Come on, it's not like we don't know you well enough to realize you're faking being upset." Ajiyama said. "Just, unlock whatever door or whatever, and get out of our hair."

"Fine..." monokuma sighed. "Maybe I'll poison someone's breakfast cereal as revenge."

Before we could make any reaction to the actual threat, he had left again, but Ajiyama jumped instantly back into action.

"Alright!" She said. "So, we're investigating this new area, right?"

"I mean, I guess so?" Komori said. "It sounds like a good idea, at least."

"What about traps?" Ryouta asked. "Or other potentially dangerous situations."

"I, uh, um, th-that does seem a little worrisome." Nishimura said.

"Well, ideally, we would stay in a big team." Toshima said.

"That's not really constructive for exploring a new area, though." Keina said. "It'd be quicker to split up, even if that's less safe..."

"We could split up while also staying together." Yanagi said.

"Huh? But Acorn-kun, that doesn't make any sense at all!" Mizuki said.

"No, I think I understand." I said. "If we get in pairs, then we'll be able to protect each other, while also covering more ground."

"We tried that before when Maede-san suggested it." Iyakami said. "It didn't work then, what makes you think it will turn out better this time?"

"Well, we didn't make as much of an effort last time as we will now." I said.

"In other words, you want us to try harder?" Keina asked.

"Yeah, exactly!" I said.

"Sounds like a pain." Ryouta groaned.

"Come on, don't be like that." I said. "We just have to pair up and go looking! I'm sure we'll find something great."

"Ok," Komori sighed. "I'm willing to give it a chance. Keina-chan, you're coming with me!"

"Oh, uh, alright." Keina said, but she was already being pulled away. She smiled and waved as she was dragged off.

"I will also make an attempt." Rukiro said, soft voice only barely reaching my ears.

"Well, if Rukiro-kun is trying, um," Nishimura said. "The, uh, rest of us d-don't really have an excuse. L-let's go."

Even when being such a soft-spoken person, Nishimura had a very commanding voice, the kind you just want to agree with, so very quickly, I found myself alone with Ajiyama in the dining hall, everyone else having left. It was a bit strange, if I thought about it, because there had been an odd number of us to start with, but I chose to believe that some of them had left in a group of three without me noticing, just so I could move on with my life. I didn't have time to worry about _everything_. There was exploring to do!

"So, we're going together again?" Ajiyama said.

"Well, I guess so!" I nodded.

"Cool." She smiled softly. "Let's get going then, the faster the better, so we can see as many things as possible!"

She stepped away before I could respond again, so I followed her, all the way out of the Dorm House, at which point she paused, then took a decisive turn to her right. I jogged to catch up with her.

"So, we're going counterclockwise, then?" I asked.

"Well, yeah." She replied. "I saw a new building this way. Look."

She gestured forward, to a building that looked like a piece taken out of a strip mall, with only two store fronts. Though they were nearly identical in architectural structure, the dual edifices were easy to distinguish. The farther of the two had a rather angular awning over the store front, with flat gray and white striped as a meager form of decoration. Above that was an equally angular sign which read "Nezumi Co. Print Shop" in black block letters. The windows had blinds on the inside, obscuring my view, especially from my current distance.

The other of the pair couldn't be more different. Or, it could, if it weren't actually part of the same building. While it too had an awning, this one was rounded, and brightly colored, with shades of red and pink which assaulted the eye, and its own matching sigh was extremely stylized, with a font so bubbly it was barely readable, but I managed to make out a "Nezumi-chan's Art Studio~!" I still wasn't sure who this Nezumi person was, but given that the skatepark had been designated under the same name, and that this was an _Art Studio_ , my hopes could not be more grim. The canvas-like curtains shielding the windows did nothing to avert my suspicions, either.

However, the most distinguishing feature between the two conjoined buildings was that slightly outside the door of the nearer one stood Nishimura, looking nervous as always. As Ajiyama and I finished out approach, she offered a small smile, peeking up from behind her scarf.

"Hey, Nishimura-chan." I said, as Ajiyama settled in at my side. "What are you doing here alone?"

"Oh, uh, sorry for g-going, um, against your suggestion, Honrei-san." She said.

"That's not what I'm concerned with at all, I won't get mad, don't worry." I said.

"Oh, thank goodness," she sighed. "See, the truth is, um, I _did_ leave the Dorm House with b-both Toshima-kun and Ryouta-kun," I spared an inward feeling of relief, that my self-calming idea had been the truth. "B-but, uh, right by the Dorm House, we found this building."

"Of course." Ajiyama said. "It's right there, after all."

"Y-yeah." Nishimura said. "But, we looked inside, and, uh, T-Tomiko-san was there. She seemed like, she didn't want to be bothered, but I, uh, felt bad leaving her alone, so I decided to stay, uh, here."

"That's really kind of you." I said.

"R-really?" She gasped. "You don't think it's, uh, stupid, or s-something?"

"Not at all." I said. "I think I'm gonna still go inside to check out the area, though. Ajiyama-chan?"

"I'll stay here." She said. I nodded, then headed inside.

Just like in the Laundry Building, there was a bell over the door, that jingled when I stepped in, but I only barely noticed it, much more distracted by my immediate surroundings.

The place was dark, with still hardly any lights on, and I smelt blood as soon as I stepped in, looking to see there were stains of it both on the ground below my feet and the canvas curtain behind me, which now that I inspected it, was also ripped. It felt like I had actually just stepped into Gendou's execution. Before moving forward, I checked carefully to make sure there weren't any traps set up to stab me still there.

"What are you doing here, Honrei-san." Tomiko said, before I had even seen her. I turned towards the sound of her voice, but the place was too echoey and dark for me to pinpoint her exact location. I responded by calling into the building in general.

"I thought it might be important for me to look around?" I said, with a bit of a shrug. "I also wanted to-"

"What? Check on me?" She snapped. I gulped, a bit surprised that I had been so transparent. "I don't need someone else babying me, Honrei-san."

"I'm not, trying to 'baby' you." I said, trying to step forward, only to stumble over one of the sculptures on the floor. "Where's the light switch in here, anyways?"

I winced as my question was answered, bright florescent light flooding the area, blinding me for just a few moments. When I opened my eyes again, my surroundings were much less spooky. It just looked like a normal, albeit messy and cluttered art studio. Tomiko was by the far wall, hand lingering by a light switch.

"Jeez, why's the switch so far from the entrance?" I laughed, stepping carefully to get closer to her. "That just sounds inconvenient."

"Look around and get out." Tomiko said. I looked up, and saw lines of dried tears on her face, barely visible even with the lights on. "You said you just wanted to see the area, so that should be enough, right?"

"But I'm-"

"What?" She snapped. "Worried about me? I can do fine on my own, Honrei-san. Let me grieve and I'll be back to my normal, peppy self soon, okay?"

"You can't just shut your emotions our!" I shouted, shocking myself, even, with the sudden noise. I controlled my voice more carefully as I continued. "It's okay to be sad, Tomiko-chan!"

"Honrei-san." She said, the least angry I had heard her speak since the trial. "I know that. I'll... figure it out. I'll be okay. I just need time to be alone. That's how I deal with it, okay?"

I took a moment to process, then nodded.

"Okay." I said. "Did you find anything interesting here?"

"I guess?" She shrugged, and I finally finished stepping over everything to reach her. "It's just a bunch of weird and creepy art. There's a room in the back with a bunch of supplies and things, and all of the mechanisms and things have been removed from the ceiling as far as I can tell, so you don't have to check for any trip wires."

"In the supplies, uh," I bit my lip. "Are there any weapons? Sorry if that's a weird question. I promise I don't want to use them myself."

"It's not too weird." She hummed. "I guess it's a good idea to know what might be there and take preventative action. I guess there's like, scissors, and yarn? Nothing as blatant as a knife or a gun, unless glue guns count."

"That's good, I guess." I said, shrugging.

"Thanks for worrying so much." Tomiko said. "Now, uh, I think I'm about ready for another crying session, if you're ready to leave."

"Sure." I nodded. "Just be sure to stay hydrated!"

"You got it chief!" She said, smiling weakly.

Carefully, stepping over all the same mess on the floor that I evaded to get there in the first place, I walked my way out of the Art Studio, rejoining with Ajiyama and Nishimura on the outside.

"Oh cool." Ajiyama said, as soon as she saw me. "She didn't stab you."

"That's, um, a little rude." Nishimura said.

"I guess." Ajiyama shrugged. "Sorry, Honrei-chan, can we get going?"

"Hm? Yeah." I said. "We should check out the Print Shop next door. See you around, Nishimura-chan."

"Yeah, see you." She said.

Ajiyama followed me over to the other door, and I opened it, to a similar jingle of a bell. The interior of the shop was much brighter than I expected, sterile almost. The walls were painted white, but the bottom half had wood paneling that was painted gray. Square black frames were easily spaced, showcasing various photography. There was a counter about halfway into the room, and on the near side of it there were a bunch of uncomfortable looking chairs. Behind it was a series of copy machines, scanners, and wide printers, and shelves filled with paper and ink cartridges. Similarly behind the counter were Yanagi and Mizuki, the latter of which looked ready to hop straight over the counter.

"Squirrel-chan!" He exclaimed, with a frighteningly huge grin. "Welcome to the Nezumi Co. Print Shop! How can I help you today?"

"You don't have to answer him." Yanagi sighed.

"Hey!" Mizuki shouted. "How dare you interrupt my roleplay, Acorn-kun!"

"There's, uh," I snickered. "There's no alcohol for you to make him try this time, right Mizuki-kun?"

"There isn't." Yanagi answered.

"Hmph! That question was for me!" Mizuki pouted. "Just for that, I'll make you chug the ink supply!"

"That sounds... poisonous." Ajiyama said. "I mean, I'm not sure, but we shouldn't take the risk just to find out."

"You three are always ruining my fun." Mizuki huffed, crossing his arms.

"Isn't that why you bother with us?" Ajiyama asked. "We're not easy targets for your bad jokes.

"You caught me, Guppy-chan!" Mizuki said, miming holding his heart. "I'm wounded!"

"Hey," I said, looking around the room. Apart from the decor, it looked about identical to the Art Studio. "Is there a back room here?"

"Mm, yeah." Mizuki said. "The door's hidden in the wall. I'd tell you what's inside, but you wouldn't believe me."

"Can I see it, then?" I asked.

"I dunno~" Mizuki drawled. "Why should I show you?"

"Come on," Yanagi ducked around Mizuki, and opened up a gate in the counter, leading Ajiyama and me in. "I'll show you."

"But what if they use it for evil, Acorn-kun!" Mizuki whined. "It's way too dangerous!"

"Then they'd come back here after we left and look at it anyways." Yanagi said. "Look, I trust them, you should too."

My stomach jumped just a little bit when Yanagi said he trusted me. I wasn't sure why, though.

"Hitoshi. Open the door." Yanagi said.

"Fiiiine," Mizuki relented. He hopped over to what looked like a blank wall, messing with what just looked like a slightly larger gap in the wood paneling, and causing a section of the wall to swing open, revealing a dark room behind it.

"Y'know," Mizuki hummed. "I don't think we were supposed to find this room."

"They would've locked it if they really wanted to keep us out." Ajiyama said. "They just hid the door, is all."

"It does have an eerie vibe, though." I said.

"You don't have to be afraid of it." Yanagi said. He stepped forward, into the room, flicking a set of red, dim lights on. "See, look, I'm not dead yet."

"Your humor is, though." Ajiyama said, following him inside. I stepped forward carefully and tried (and failed) not to jump when Mizuki let the door shut behind him. "So, what is this place?"

"It looks like something out of a sci-fi film." I said. The room was more spacious than I expected, but the walls were lined with unidentifiable machinery that still made it feel cramped with the four of us. "One of the horror-y ones where people die in weird experiments."

"Oh, come on." Yanagi groaned. "It's not that bad. It's just a darkroom. The lights can't be bright or else it would harm the development process of the film."

"That's not all, though!" Mizuki said. "There's like, totally real sci-fi going on in here!"

"What do you mean?" Ajiyama asked.

"3D printers." Yanagi said.

"Ah!" I said, a bit suddenly. "I've heard of those, they can print custom machine parts from plastic filaments, and also some really cool art pieces!"

"That'd be a _normal_ 3D printer, yeah." Mizuki said. "But I said sci-fi! Really cool future stuff!"

"What makes them so special?" I asked.

"They seem to be unlimited in possibilities for material." Yanagi said. "These printers have the ability to print human organs, or something as intricate as a music box that could sit in the palm of your hand, given the person running it were knowledgeable enough to make one."

"That can't be real." Ajiyama said.

"No, it's true!" Mizuki said. "You don't believe us, Guppy-chan?"

"How does it do it, then?" Ajiyama said. "Where does it get the resources?"

"I don't know." Yanagi said. "The machine is, however, large enough to hold considerably large tanks inside."

"It's not without limits, though, sadly." Mizuki said, taking a more logical tone. "The product can be no larger than 75 centimeters, or about 30 inches in any direction. Also, I dunno how big they are, but the material tanks will have to run out eventually."

"How do you program it to print what you want?" I asked, getting more than a little interested.

"You can't." Yanagi said. "There are no computers anywhere in sight to create information, which makes this entire print shop rather useless."

"So..." Ajiyama said. "You can't make anything after all?"

"Well," Yanagi said. "The machine is pre-loaded with a variety of designs, which can be selected on the control screen."

"Most of the designs are weapons." Mizuki said. "Knives, ropes, blunt instruments, those types of things, but also a few other things, novelty toys and keychains."

"So not much that's useful, huh?" I sighed.

"We're printing something right now, actually!" Mizuki beamed, ignoring my lament. "But it prints at a rate of about 5 cubic centimeters a minute, so even small things take a while."

"That's still pretty fast for such an impressive printer, though, I think." I said. "What are you making?"

"We're running one of the three printing chambers currently." Yanagi said. "It's making a twisting charm, meant for fidgeting."

"It's shaped like an acorn!" Mizuki smiled.

"I see." Ajiyama said. "Human instinct when presented with such godlike powers of creation would be to make as many things as possible." She let out a large sigh. "Please don't go overboard with this."

"We won't." Yanagi said.

"We won't?" Mizuki frowned.

"I'll. try to keep him under control." Yanagi amended. "I can't guarantee he won't go behind my back to do something weird."

"I can't believe you don't trust me, Acorn-kun." Mizuki pouted.

"One last thing before we leave?" I interrupted. "Is there any limit on who can use anything here?"

"Nope!" Mizuki said, bouncing back from his bad mood. "You just have to walk up and start messing with the controls. The only thing stopping you is opening the door to get in here."

"And that's all we need to know?" Ajiyama asked.

"I believe so." Yanagi said. "It is all the information we have obtained, at least."

"Alright cool." Ajiyama said. "Bye."

With that, Ajiyama turned around, pushing the hidden door open from the inside, and left. After a moment, I jolted forward to catch up, and caught her outside the shop, already heading away from the Dorm House again.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next update should be February 16th. I'm falling a bit behind but I'm also getting back into the swing of things so we'll see how it goes.


	18. Chapter Three: A Compellation; Inciting Mourning: Daily Life- Part Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a little longer. Enjoy the extra words.

"So, we're sticking this way?" I asked, moving a little faster to keep up with Ajiyama's lengthened strides as we continued along the path away from the Dorm House.

"Well, it's what makes sense," she said, not looking my way. "If we continue this way, we can cover everything most efficiently, with two counterclockwise loops."

"Yeah that makes sense." I nodded. "So, we'll go right once we get on the inner loop?"

"I guess," she said, turning her head to look even farther from my face.

It didn't seem like Ajiyama really wanted to talk, so I quieted down and followed her. We didn't particularly see anything new on the way to the inner loop, but once we got there, I immediately saw a building to the left. I started that way, but Ajiyama stopped me.

"What are you doing?" She asked. "Counterclockwise is to the right."

"But, there's a building here." I said.

"We'll get around to it." She said. "It's best not to get distracted, besides, you're the one who decided on this direction in the first place."

Without waiting for me to say anything, she took off in the other direction, leaving me no option but to follow. It would be a lie to say I wasn't starting to get worried about her. She kept ahead of me, though, so I couldn't ask her about it.

Eventually, keeping a few steps behind Ajiyama, we passed the salon, but before we reached the bar, I stopped short.

"It's so pretty!" I gasped.

"It's just a pool, Honrei-chan." Ajiyama said.

Before me was what seemed like a picturesque scene, at least to me. It was some kind of resort motel, with a somewhat large standalone building to one side, and a line of eight connected rooms to the other. In the middle, between the two, was a large, gorgeous, bright-blue pool.

"I've got to check my dresser for a swimsuit!" I exclaimed.

"Smells like chlorine." Ajiyama coughed. "Can't you just swim at the beach instead?"

"You two sound like you're having fun." Toshima laughed. He stood over by the door to one of the motel rooms, shockingly, also alone.

"Yeah, well, one of us, I guess." Ajiyama shrugged, strolling nonchalantly up to Toshima. "What's your deal, then?"

"I dunno if I have a 'deal.'" Toshima said. "I'm just kinda hanging out."

"Shouldn't Ryouta-kun be here?" I asked, then followed with a sigh, "or did you split up again?"

"Nishimura-chan told you, huh?" He said bashfully. "But, well, I guess so? Not really."

"Which is it?" Ajiyama asked.

"Ryouta-kun is inside this room." He stated. "We decided it was better for me to keep watch out here, so no one could surprise him in the room! Also, this way I can look around out here!"

"Is that all?" Ajiyama prodded.

"Well uh," Toshima faltered. "There is something, uh, strange about two people alone in a seedy motel room like this, isn't there?"

"Of course." Ajiyama sighed. "Gay panic. It's not a disease, Toshima-kun."

"Huh, wait, no!" Toshima said. "Not because of that, honestly, I don't think I could feel that way about anyone, regardless of gender and stuff."

"Anyways," I said, trying to steer the conversation away before those questions fell on me. "Have you found anything out here, Toshima-kun?"

"Well, the pool, obviously." He said. "The controls and filters and stuff are behind the lobby building, but I couldn't figure out any way to turn the temperature low enough to make it into an ice rink."

"Don't get yourself down about it, though." I said. "Maybe we'll find an actual ice rink later."

"Yeah, but it'll probably be after I'm dead." Toshima sighed.

"Huh?" I gasped. "Why do you say that?"

"I'm not trying to be fatalistic, though." He said. "Just, extrapolating from what we know already. After the first trial we got the skate park and the salon, and now the art studio, and I'm pretty sure this motel is meant to be for Minagami. So, like, once someone dies, we get an area themed after them."

"I wonder what Minagami's execution would have been like." Ajiyama hummed.

"That's not really something to think about." I said. "So, Toshima-kun, uh, what else?"

"What else? Hm." Toshima paused. "Well, there's eight guest rooms. From a glance they're all identical inside, and there are number on the doors, increasing from left to right."

"And can you lock the doors?" Ajiyama asked.

"Of course!" Toshima nodded. "They keys are over in the lobby, but they're all unlocked by default. The doors also have deadbolts, independent from the keys, that can only be locked from inside."

"Pretty secure, then." I said. "Thanks Toshima-kun!"

"Sure!" He said.

"Do you think we could go in and check up with Ryouta-kun to see what he found inside?" Ajiyama asked.

"Probably." Toshima said. "Hold on,"

Saying that, Toshima turned around and knocked on the door he had been half-guarding. He spoke loud enough for his voice to reach inside. I supposed that meant these rooms weren't soundproofed.

"Hey, Ryouta-kun!" He said, tone only slightly grating on my ears. "Ajiyama-chan and Honrei-chan are going to come inside and check things out, okay?"

Instead of a verbal response, I heard the soft click of someone opening the door, allowing it to loosely swing open. After a moment's hesitation, I pushed forward, and entered the room.

The inside of the motel room looked almost exactly as I expected it to. The walls were covered in a lightly patterned wallpaper, and a few abstract paintings hung here and there. Most of the light in the room came from a window next to the entrance door, and the rest from a few dim lamps scattered throughout, one on a bedside table, one on a desk, and a floor lamp in the far corner. There was a door on the far wall which presumably led to a bathroom, and as per standard, a camera and monitor setup close to the ceiling. In the middle of the room there was a double bed, with white sheets and a light green comforter, occupied by Ryouta himself, reclining with his eyes closed.

"Hey, Ryouta-kun." I said, stepping forward far enough that Ajiyama could follow and close the door behind us. Ryouta gave us a cursory nod.

"So, you got up, opened the door, then rushed back and laid down so you could keep looking cool?" Ajiyama asked. "Isn't that sort of thing more effort than it's worth?"

Ryouta opened one eye to glare at Ajiyama.

"So, uh, anything cool about the hotel rooms?" I asked. "That bed looks pretty comfortable."

"It's about the same as the beds in our dorm rooms." He said. "The entire place is about the same as the dorms, only less personalized, and with a private bathroom."

"Oh, the bathroom!" I gasped. "Mind if I take a look?"

"Knock yourself out." He shrugged. "It's a bit smaller, but the same quality, I'd say."

"How's sharing with Iyakami-san anyways?" I asked, while walking across the room.

"Eh," Ryouta said. "We don't get in each other’s way much, so it's not a big deal."

I nodded, offhand, before entering the bathroom. It was fairly small compared to the dorm bathrooms, but equipped with a standard toilet and sink, and a shower-tub combo. Nothing really to write home about. I did notice, though, that there was no soap or shampoo or toothpaste or anything, only the bare essential toilet paper and hand soap, and a few white towels.

After my inspection, I turned and exited the room, to now find both Ryouta and Ajiyama laying on the bed, with nearly the exact same posture.

"Is this really necessary?" I asked.

"It absolutely is not." Ajiyama said with a smirk. It was a bit chiding, but I was glad to see some sort of smile on her face. "What'd you find in the bathroom?"

"Not much. If someone stayed here they'd have to bring all their stuff from their dorm room." I said. "They don't even have complimentary fancy soaps."

"I don't know why someone would want to stay here anyways." Ajiyama said. "It just sounds inconvenient."

I shrugged.

"If that's all, though," Ajiyama said. "We should get going. See you, Ryouta-kun."

Ryouta nodded again as Ajiyama hopped up off the bed. I walked around it, reaching the door a little later than here. I waved to Ryouta as we left, and Toshima as well as we passed him outside.

"We should look at the lobby before we move on." Ajiyama said, already heading that way.

"Sure," I said. She pushed ahead, walking right through two sets of automatic glass doors into the lobby.

The decor of the lobby mostly matched that of the individual room I had seen, with soft grays everywhere I could see. There were sections of couches and coffee tables to either side of the room, and taller, about waist height tables with baskets of fruit and stale baked goods and carafes of coffee and tea. Between these, in the middle, right in front of the doors was a counter against the back wall, that Rukiro and Iyakami stood near. They were already having a conversation as I walked up.

"And you won't have any trouble completing this request?" Iyakami asked.

"None at all," Rukiro bowed a tad, then straightened again. "I will endeavor to eliminate any delay this may invite and complete this assignment posthaste."

"What assignment?" I asked.

"It's nothing important." Iyakami said.

"Yeah, but what is it?" Ajiyama asked.

"Iyakami-sama has merely requested my aide in preparing the ingredients for a dish. It is of little consequence." Rukiro said. "Now how may I attend to your needs, Honrei-san, Ajiyama-san?"

"We're doing the rounds and seeing what people have found." I said. "Toshima already told us about the keys here, but is there anything else to know?"

"There's a meager selection of food, to be replenished each night." Iyakami said. "A computer, and some uncomfortable couches. Not much."

"Wait, a computer?" Ajiyama jumped. "You're joking, right?"

"It is not a farce." Rukiro said. "The computer is set up by the check in desk."

"Well shit!" Ajiyama gasped. "We have to use it to call for help! Get the police here!"

"Then you know how to unlock it?" Iyakami sneered. "Or you have the skills to bypass the locks on it?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"It requires a password to be accessed at all." Rukiro said. "We cannot even determine if it has an internet connection."

"Then, let's just try different passwords until we unlock it." I said.

"You're kidding, right?" Ajiyama said. "With just four digits of alphanumeric symbols that's fourteen million seven hundred seventy-six thousand three hundred thirty-six possibilities."

"That's a really big number." I sighed.

"Yeah, that's the point." Ajiyama said. "It would take so long to test all of them, that we might just die before we got it. Never mind the possibility that it's set up to delete all its data after too many attempts."

"So, we won't get in to the computer?" I asked.

"It is _extremely_ unlikely." Ajiyama said.

"Well," Iyakami said. "I did say that it wasn't much important."

"Maybe we'll find a hint somewhere." I said. "Or someone else can crack it open."

"That sounds like wishful thinking." Rukiro said.

"It's better to be wishful than hopeless." Ajiyama said. "We'll bring it up when everyone meets up again at lunch."

"Sounds like a plan." I said, then addressed Rukiro and Iyakami. "Is there anything else we should check before we leave?"

"Not really." Iyakami said. "In fact, it would be best if you left."

"Indeed." Rukiro agreed.

"Okaaaaaaay..." Ajiyama said. "See you later I guess."

"See you!" I said, with a quick wave and a smile, before turning around and following Ajiyama out the door. She headed down the path opposite the way we had come immediately, and once we were a few yards from the motel, about in front of the bar, she let out a loud groan.

"What's wrong?" I asked, barely keeping up with her quick strides by use of longer ones.

"They're hiding something." Ajiyama said. "Conspiring, planning, something."

"I guess they were being a bit secretive." I said.

"And there are a few non-malicious reasons to keep secrets." Ajiyama said. "But sharing it with a second party almost always happens under one of two circumstances. Either there is an extreme degree of confidence, which I doubt between those two, or there is an intimidation factor, a power imbalance."

"So, you think Iyakami-san is threatening Rukiro-kun?" I asked.

"Something like that, maybe." Ajiyama said. "I don't know, I might have to think about this, but I, hm..."

"You're worried about Rukiro-kun?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "Rukiro was heavily dependent on Minagami, which was unhealthy in the first place, but now that she's dead, it leaves him in a vulnerable position, where he's easily manipulated."

"Or maybe," I said. "You're thinking too much about this and you're going to make yourself sick with all this negative energy, so you should cheer up?"

"That's," she paused. "Also a possibility, I guess. But with something like this death game thing, we can't afford to not be vigilant, and just brush everything off."

"There's a fine line between necessary worry and unnecessary stress." I said. "You're toeing it right now, so I'm just concerned for your wellbeing."

"Thanks for worrying." Ajiyama said. "But if you're allowed to then so am I. Let's move on."

I nodded, and without any awkwardness, we walked silently to the next building along the path. And what a building it was. I smelled what it was before I saw it, but a single glance confirmed it was the same one I saw when we first reached the inner loop. It was about as standard in construction as a building could be, but had a bright red sheet metal roof, which paled in comparison to the neon sign on a tall metal pole which was rooted in the asphalt border that surrounded the building. It read "Lord of Hamburgers." Which was weird, because if any restaurant chain would pop up at the bottom of the ocean, I'd expect it to be a WcNaldos. Have it your way, I supposed.

The smell of sizzling grease and sugary soda drifted out the door, which, as disgusting as it was, still drew me in a little. It somehow felt like it had been a really long time since I ate anything so indulgent. I barely bothered looking through the glass storefront before entering, though I did glance a neon "open" sign. A small beep played as I opened the door.

"Welcome to Lord of Hamburgers!" Keina called out cheerily as I walked up to the counter. She had a visor on that matched the same shade of red as the roof. "What can I get you today?"

Farther away from the counter, Komori also had a visor, and she was standing a bit limply by the fryer. I couldn't see her face, but she still looked sad.

"I didn't think you were the type to play around like this." I joked. "Mizuki-kun, maybe, but not you."

"Well, uh, to be honest I'm not." Keina said, then leaned forward with a whisper. "I just thought it might cheer Komori-chan up. She's been burning herself out to put on a brave face in front of everyone, but she's been pretty down for a while now."

"Oh," Komori said, looking over her shoulder at us. With just a moment, she was smiling full of energy again. "Sum1's here! Say Honrei-chan, Ajiyama-chan, do either of u kno where the 1st ever Lord of Hamburgers was established?"

"Somewhere in America, probably." I said.

"Well, I would have gone more specific myself, but that's correct!" Komori said. "The very 1st Lord of Hamburgers was established n 1953 n Jacksonville, Florida, n the US!"

"And you just, know that?" Ajiyama asked.

"There's a history book all about this place n the staff room." Komori grinned. "& that's thru the kitchen. There's a back entrance, but it's locked."

"There's a whole bunch of uniforms, too." Keina said. "Realistically, if there were people who knew what they were doing, there would be everything you would need to run the place."

"What about the food?" I asked. My mouth was watering a bit at the thought of fresh fries.

"There's freezers full of stuff!" Komori said. "I think it might get refilled? I'm not sure, but it really shouldn't matter w/ how much there is."

"We're making some potato fries right now." Keina said. "If you want, you can have some."

"What kind of fries are there besides potato?" I asked.

"Uh, there's chicken fries, apple fries, cheese fries?" Komori said.

"Cheese fries are still made of potato." Ajiyama said. "The cheese is on top. If you're thinking of fried cheese, that's something else."

"Well shit!" Komori said. "Anyways, they should b cooked soon."

A ding came from the fryer.

"That's them!" Komori said. She hopped off and started messing with a wire basket and some cardboard foldable cups. She returned with four containers of fries in her hands, and all of the extras caught between her teeth in a huge grin. After making sure we saw the joke of an expression, she chomped them down and offered the cups towards us. Keina took one, and I did as well, but Ajiyama refrained.

"B careful." Komori mumbled. "They're hot. I think my lips r burned."

"Thanks for the warning." I said, blowing on a pair before biting in.

"Is there anything else we should know?" Ajiyama asked. "Anything special about this restaurant?"

"Nope, I think we told you everything." Keina said. "The staff room, though, also has a punch card clock. It doesn't have any use, though."

"So, nothing to help us get out of this dome..." Ajiyama mumbled.

"Probably not." Komori said. "But it's an LH, what did u xpect? Some escape pod beneath the grill?"

"Never mind." Ajiyama said. "We'll see you two at lunch, okay? Don't overfill yourselves on fries."

Ajiyama grabbed my arm, and fumbled, dropping my fries on the counter before being dragged past the tables and out the door.

"Alright." Ajiyama said, heading down the straight path back to the outer circle. "We already saw everyone, so we'll just finish tracing the outer path to make sure there's nothing else."

"Wait," I said, barely keeping up with her continued fast pace. "Is something wrong, Ajiyama-chan?"

"No." She said, refusing eye contact.

"Are you sure?" I asked. "You've been acting kind of off today."

"..." Ajiyama slowed down. "I can't always be a cheerful cute companion, Honrei-chan."

"Of course not." I said. "If you were happy every day of your life you wouldn't be a human being. You'd be a gameshow host."

"Heathers, 1988." Ajiyama chuckled in a self-depreciating tone. "Maybe that's Komori's secret."

"So, then what's keeping your humanity in tact?" I asked. "I mean uh, why are you upset?"

"Seriously?" She tilted her head, just a twinge. "Who wouldn't be upset, with all this crap. I don't exactly _like_ sending people to their deaths. If I did, my talent would be something much different. Or maybe it would be the same. Maybe there's a premise for murderous anthropologists that I haven't caught onto?"

"So, you're upset about Gendou-kun, then?" I asked.

"Gendou-kun, Maede-san, Sunagawa-kun, even..." Ajiyama said. "They were normal people, Honrei-chan. But they made a few mistakes, and now they're dead."

"Death's a normal part of human life though, isn't it?" I said.

"I guess." Ajiyama replied. "Death is standard, and I can study it just fine, but being so personally involved with it is upsetting. Like those were people I _knew_. If I had made a few more mistakes, then I could be the one dead, then what? I don't know I just, sometimes it feels like we're taking the situation too lightly."

"Well, maybe." I said. "But being serious about the situation is a little depressing, isn't it? I'm sure we can get out, but not if we're moping around!"

"How exactly are we supposed to 'get out', Honrei-chan?" Ajiyama said. "We've investigated new areas three times now and we haven't found anything that could lead to escape. The only way out is murder."

"Then we'll stay here." I said. Ajiyama stopped in her tracks.

"What?" She said, after a minute's pause.

"If we can't get out without killing anyone then we'll stay here. Not do anything until monokuma and whoever's behind him get bored and let us out."

"I mean, _maybe_ that would work?" Ajiyama said. "Isn't it admitting defeat, though?"

"Admitting defeat would be caving and killing someone." I said. "If we did nothing, that'd be the exact opposite of what monokuma wants. Sometimes self-preservation is the best kind of revolt. After all, tearing yourself down is just what the world wants."

"But if we did that, what if he just pulls out something like a threat to kill all of us at once?" Ajiyama said. "We're not the ones in power here. If we want to revolt, we have to weigh the possibilities."

"Isn't weighing those possibilities better than resigning yourself to fate?" I asked. "I believe in _us_ , Ajiyama-chan. I know we'll get through it. So, take the time you need to think things through, but we haven't lost yet. We don't have to play by monokuma's rules."

"Well, we do actually. Or we'll die." Ajiyama said. "But I get your point. Let's just hurry to lunch."

"Should have had those fries when you had the chance." I said. Ajiyama huffed at me and pulled ahead again.

With all our talking, and the brisk speed Ajiyama walked at in the first place, it didn't take long for us to reach the Dorm House, and even shorter a time to travel from the entrance to the kitchen, which was yet to be occupied by anyone.

"Alright, I guess we're cooking." Ajiyama said. "What do you think we should make?"

"I don't really know how to make much." I shrugged.

"Well I know a lot of recipes that I learned from my sister." Ajiyama said. "So, I can teach you how to cook something!"

"What's your specialty?" I asked.

"Mine? Hm..." She hummed. "Tonkatsu, probably. I'm really good at getting it super crispy without burning it."

"How about fried rice on the side?" I said. "So that it's more than just pork on its own."

"Sounds good!" She smiled, then spun around and started messing with pots and pans. "Grab whatever ingredients you can find, okay?"

As I dug through the cabinets and fridges, time seemed to pass quickly, and before I even knew it, I was carrying completed dishes out to people in the dining hall, all waiting and prepared for a meeting.

"I didn't think you'd come." I said to Tomiko, as I set a plate in front of her.

"Like I'd let myself be kept out of the loop." She replied. "I'm just here for information."

"And the food." I snickered, then headed into the kitchen to pick up more dishes.

Once everyone had something to eat in front of them, and some had started chowing down, I took my own seat, and with a knife and fork, started to take off pieces of the tonkatsu, as I paid attention to what everyone else was saying.

"So, we got 4 new buildings." Komori said. "Or 5, I guess? I don't kno if the motel should count as 1 or more."

"It's all once place." Iyakami said. "Considering it a single entity is what makes sense."

"The same goes for considering the Art Studio and Print Shop separate." Yanagi said. "Even though they're connected buildings."

"Okay! So that's four!" Mizuki said. "Anyways, the print shop is pretty cool it has a 3D printer that can make anything! It's behind a secret door that only _I_ know how to open, though!"

"So, if someone gets stabbed with a knife from one of the printers, we know who to accuse." Toshima said. "Thanks!"

"Hey! That's not what I meant!" Mizuki pouted.

"It's probably better to keep it limited access, though." Keina said. "It could probably make a lot of good things, but a lot of bad things too."

"I'll keep it a secret, then!" Mizuki cooed. "It's not like we can program it to make anything good either."

"The sole computer within our reaches is locked." Rukiro said. "And we have yet to find a method to figure the code."

"What's this about a computer?" Tomiko asked.

"In the lobby of the newly discovered motel, there is a computer." Rukiro said.

"It's pretty much useless, though." Iyakami said. "The thing is locked behind a password. We don't even know how many digits it is, so there's practically infinite possibilities."

"All u have 2 do is crack the code, then." Komori said. "Write a computer program 2 brute force hack it if you have 2."

"Do _you_ know how to code something like that?" Iyakami cocked an eyebrow. "Because if you haven't noticed, none of us have any talents related even remotely to computer programming."

"Hitoshi," Yanagi said, prompting.

"Whaaaat," Mizuki whined. "Are you volunteering me or something?"

"Well, could you do anything?" I asked.

"I guess..." Mizuki drawled. "I know a little about programming, but it's not like I'm an expert. I'm not a programmer, even though I look just as cute as one."

"But, uh, could you unlock it?" Nishimura asked.

"Maaaaaybe, I dunno, Raspberry-chan!" Mizuki said. "But I gueeeess I'll give it a try, if you all are super-duper extra nice to me."

"So basically, the same condition as getting you to do anything else." Yanagi said. "Alright."

"Rude!" Mizuki pouted.

"What else about this motel, though?" Tomiko prodded.

"There are eight rooms." Ryouta said. "Each meant for one to live alone in. They are equipped with bedding and plumbing, but not much else."

"The keys are in the lobby, but the doors can also be locked from inside the rooms." Toshima said.

"So, anyone could just, live there? Instead of the Dorm House?" Tomiko said.

"Yes." Ryouta said.

"Wait, what about the rule about sleeping?" I asked. "Aren't we not supposed to sleep anywhere but the Dorm House?"

"After you left I found this." Ryouta said, then shuffled around, before pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket. He slid it over to me, so I read it for everyone.

"Students are permitted to sleep in the motel rooms during nighttime exclusively. Only one student may sleep in each room. No funny business!"

"Well, that should quell your concerns of it being a love hotel, Toshima-kun." Ajiyama said. "And I guess if we ever have need to stay on the inner circle, then we have somewhere more convenient to sleep."

"Eight of us do, at least," Nishimura said. "But I can't really think of any reason to, uh, go through the, um, effort of moving everything over there."

"I can." Tomiko said. She dropped her voice, looking down. "I'll be moving my things over, so if anyone else wants to help carry things, feel free to come and help."

"So, you're just going to live alone somewhere else instead?" Ajiyama asked.

"Yes. That's what I mean." Tomiko said. "Don't expect me to explain myself."

Abruptly, Tomiko stood up, walked to the kitchen to deposit her dishes, and once again left early, leaving silence in her wake.

"Well then," Iyakami said. "What about the Art Studio. Surely Tomiko-san wasn't the only person to investigate it."

"I only got to look around a little." I said. "But um, there's some art supplies, nothing dangerous, though. And all of the traps from uh... well they've been removed. So, it's safe, just a little creepy."

"Nothing too important, then." Yanagi said. "What about the fast food place, Lord Hamburg, was it?"

"Lord of Hamburgers!" Komori corrected. "Have it ur way!"

"It's basically just another place to get food." Keina said. "I guess if you're staying at the motel it's a bit more convenient, or if you crave grease, but that has a lot of negative health effects, so try not to eat there too often. I mean, I can't really control your behavior, so I'm just asking, but-"

"Keina-chan, it's ok!" Komori said. "We'll b fine! Home cooking tastes better anyways."

"Alright." Keina smiled.

"But that really is all there is 2 it." Komori said. "Steamed hams and nothing else."

"So, nobody found anything that might help us escape." I sighed.

"Well, there's the computer," Ajiyama said. "But it's kind of a dead end..."

"I can't believe you're doubting me, Guppy-chan." Mizuki said. "But it'll take me a while anyways, so you're right. It's basically nothing! What a shocker!"

"Don't worry, though," Nishimura said. "I'm sure we'll figure something out!"

"Definitely." I nodded. "For now, though, let's just eat."

"Already on it!" Toshima said, showing off a clean plate. "Is there any extra?"

"Yeah, in the kitchen." Ajiyama said.

"Nice!" Toshima jumped up, running off and returning with a refilled plate.

Once I finished my meal, I washed a few of the dishes, and returned back to my room, finding a new fish tank along the wall next to the others.

I waved hello to the Sunagawa and Maede fishes, and in the process discovered Sunagawa fish had a new roommate. I checked the new plaque on the tank to confirm it was a _scarus vetula_ , a Queen Parrotfish. Even though it had such a regal name, it still looked kind of funny, and I couldn't help snickering.

The new tank looked to have a whole school of fish, which I was actually thankful for, since the fish that was inside, _Parachirodon innesi_ , or the neon tetra, was a social fish, and I hated the thought of it being alone until someone else might die and I'd get another one.

Once I checked that the fish had good food supplies, I flopped down on my bed, and thought for a while. There was a lot of new stuff, but I wasn't sure if any of it was anything aside from a new plastic castle to keep us entertained in our own tank.

I bit my cheek and stared at the ceiling.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Update March 2nd.

**Author's Note:**

> Freetime requests open. (For Chapter 4.)


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